Children of the Springs
by Patent-Pending
Summary: When Ranma arrives at Jusenkyou at age fifteen, something strange is going on. A different curse and a few new friends later, he finds himself chosen by Jusenkyou itself to defend the world from something utterly undefinable. Ranma&Ranko
1. Prologue

A.N. I'm just brushing the first few chapters up now that I'm two years wiser and more talented. Which isn't saying much. Right, Iku zo!! (P.S. I'm now using my profile to post notices about stories. Check there for things like updates and spoilers)

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

-Chinese-

_Thoughts_

Panda Signs

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Children of the Spring

Prologue

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Ranma looked along the wide trail that he and his father were hiking on. It had been some years since he had left home, and now, at the age of fourteen, his father was dragging him through the Bayanakala Mountain Range in China, to go train with possible the only group of women, other than his mother, that Genma gave any respect to at all.

This, of course, is only because they can completely kick his ass.

Somewhere along the line, he had picked up his father's 'no hitting girls' policy. Whether this was due to the fact that women, most of time, ran bars, restaraunts, and other such places to eat, which must of what kept Genma from hitting girls. Ranma didn't like to because the average female was usually much less powerful then he was. Ranma sighed.

This was going to be a long twelve months.

"Oyaji?"

"What is it son?"

"Remind me again why we're going around Shangri La to get to where we're going?" When Genma didn't answer immediately, Ranma sighed, and glared at the back of his father's head.

"OK, Oyaji. What did you do this time?" Genma was really beginning to sweat now. And it wasn't the midday sun either.

"We'll talk about it some other time." Genma told him. In other words, never. Ranma sighed, and continued walking on, knocking the occasional log or jumping the occasional river.

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Xian Pu was standing atop a log on sticks. The elders decided to only have the semi-finals and the finals on the high log this year, due to the time it took to get the log up and down. She was facing off against the younger warrior, Wao Shu. Her twin Bonbori maces glinted in the sunlight, while the solid staff of oaken wood stood with the young girl balanced on the side of the staff. Xian Pu smiled. Today was going to be too easy.

-BEGIN!- The referee shouted. Instantly Xian Pu was upon the wary Wao Shu, who pole-vaulted up and away from Xian Pu. Xian Pu whirled and threw one of her maces at the girl in mid-air, who deflected the weapon. Xian Pu caught the weapon, but found herself in dangerous water.

She was off balance.

Quickly righting herself, Xian Pu barely had any time leftover to block the incoming thrusts. Attack met counter, met second attack met counter met counter-attack, met counterblock. Wao Shu brought the staff down on Xian Pu's head, but the staff met resistance as Xian Pu did as cross block with her maces, and Xian Pu twisted the weapon away. Wao Shu let go of the staff, and dove into Xian Pu, pounding away on her gut.

Xian Pu felt four or five punches to her gut, and then the rest blur together. But Xian Pu smiled. The punches, while fast and fairly strong, had nothing on her washboard abs. Wao Shu was doing effectively no damage. Xian Pu, however, decided to play possum. Xian Pu collapsed to the ground. As soon as Wao Shu relented her attack, Xian Pu vaulted up and gave the girl a vicious kick to the chin. Spinning carefully Xian Pu twisted up into a standing position and continued her kicking assault to Wao Shu's head. The other girl went down and fell off the log after the third kick.

-Winner! Xian Pu!- The crowds cheered for the Semi-Finalist. The day was setting, and Xian Pu just wanted to go to the baths, soak, go home, and go to sleep. Fortunately, her great-grandmother had let her off of training during the tournament week any day she had a battle.

Xian Pu wriggled her way into the simple cot. She smiled in her sleep, where a young man with black hair swept her off her feet.

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"So, let me get this straight. You'll give us three artifacts that other people stole from us, in exchange for one of us to train your son among our people?" Elder Khu Lon, or in some places Cologne, raised her eyebrow to the balding man. He nodded.

"Impress me. Show me the artifacts, and bring the boy in here."

"RANMA! GET IN HERE!" Genma shouted. The bundle of black hair that was seen through the window of the hut stood up and walked in. When Cologne's gaze leveled on him, a shiver passed through his body, but other than that, he seemed unfazed.

_And just about Shampoo's age, if not a little older._

"The artifacts, bargainer?" Genma took out a bundle of cloth, roughly the size of a kettle. When Genma unwrapped the bundle, Cologne's eyes widened. The Kaisu-Fuu, which was used to unlock locked Jusenkyou curses, sat before her. When Genma opened the kettle, her eyes widened a bit more. He produced first a three-gemed bracelet. Or, what one might call a gem. Those gems were really pills that cause people fall in love with the opposite gender on first sight, for varying amounts of time.

The Third Item nearly made Cologne fall off her staff. Almost.

He then pulled out an intricate, ornate hilt. While nothing seemed off, not counting the lack of a blade, with the hilt - but Cologne new better. This was, essentially, the combination of a magic wand, enchanted energy sword, and just a general magic thorn in a rival's side. Cologne wasn't sure if even _she_ knew all the functions of the sword.

"Sir, you have done well. What is the boy's name?"

"Ranma Saotome."

"Very well. Ranma. Your training starts in the morning." Cologne gets up and walks out of the hut.

"Soap! See these two men to a guest cottage." A young woman with aquamarine hair came in, and bowed to the elder, then resumed her harsh glare on the two men.

"Hey Oyaji." Ranma whispered to his father.

"Yes son?" He whispered in return.

"Why does it feel like we're getting the short-end of the stick?"

"I have no idea."

"Men should stop whispering. It not appreciated." A cold voice came from in front of them.

"This where you stay." The old hut looked like it was going to fall in on itself any minute.

"We've stayed in worse." Ranma said. Soap just harrumphed and walked off.

"What's with her?" Ranma had no idea what his dad had just gotten him into.

A.N. End of Prologue. Reviews are still much appreciated.


	2. Explosions of Light

A.N. All of you have probably already read the answers to your earlier reviews, so I won't include my old answers. Again, just dusting off an old fic chapter.

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

**Pheonix Talk** (No one but Children of the Springs, little kids, and people who truly believe in Ranma can understand this)

-Chinese-

_Thoughts_

(Panda Signs)

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Children of the Spring

First Chapter - Explosions of Light

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Ranma knew his father was an idiot. Genma had ticked off one too many of the girls who held fancy for him with his high, haughty attitude, and nearly gotten himself maimed. So he decided it was time for _**both**_ of them to run, very far, very fast. But for some strange reason he felt he _**needed**_ to visit this mist-covered valley.

For Training, or some other non-sense he spouted just so Ranma would follow him.

"Welcome to Cursed Ground of Jusenkyou, honored sirs. Please, step light and – PLEASE NO HOP ON BAMBOO!! BE BAD YOU FALL IN!!"

Both Ranma and his father didn't hear the guide. Ranma launched a flying kick that Genma deflected. Ranma caught a pole, and flung himself at Genma with enormous speed. Genma was caught off-guard from the off angle attack, and sent tumbling into a spring. Ranma smiled at his success.

That smile was wiped off of his face when a large, black and white blur came careening at him at high speeds, and knocked him into the pool behind him. Only seconds later to come flying out, unchanged, and land in another pool. Light poured out of the pool he'd only seconds earlier been ejected from

Maybe it was a good thing he wasn't in there.

"No! Ancestors, is it really time for they return?" The guide asked. Apparently so, because four other springs lit up and ejected something, inclusive of the one Ranma had previously occupied. Everyone but the Guide and Genma were or fell unconscious, so they drag everyone in to the guide's hut.

Several hours and a few failed conversations later, Ranma awoke to the smell of wet fur. He opened his eyes to a wall of brown fur. And teeth.

Very sharp teeth.

He panicked, and nearly screamed. A very large, sleeping Grizzly Bear was sleeping in the same room as him, a very large and threatening looking Boar, a snake with legs, two kids, and a young woman. He hefted the girl and twins and high-tailed it out of the room.

"POPS! I know your training methods are weird, but a full grown, _live_ bear? ARE YOU CRAZ - OOF!" Ranma had been hit by the girl.

"Will you please be quiet? I'm trying to rest." The Redhead had leveled both her glare and her temper at Ranma. He knew he was walking on treacherous ground, so he hoped to say the right thing. Perhaps it was a good thing he had been so loud, as the two twins woke up, and began to play with the redheaded girl, distracting her.

"Good Sirs, perhaps I should tell you what happen. Hundreds of Year ago, great prophet Mahi predict that the springs would bear children. She tell us very day what spring give birth. The pools that bear children lose magic for five-hundred years. Very sad for spring." Ranma looked at the girl, and she looked up at him. There eyes met for a moment, before hers clouded over in something of a mix between sadness and rage. She harrumphed and looked away.

"What did I do?" Ranma asked inching closer. The redhead glared at him, and he knew it was high time to retreat.

'Daughter of the Springs, why do you shun him? He only wishes to help you.' Everyone who wasn't from the springs went wide-eyed, and were dumbfounded.

"Did that bear-"

'Just talk? Yes, I can talk. I can also walk on my hind legs, too.' He said, as he started to do a little jig.

'What are you doing, Bear of the Springs?'

'A dance. I find it fun to stand and dance.' The giant boar had squeezed its way through narrow door, with the little golden dragon asleep on its back.

'Please, we need to talk. Young man, what is your name?' the boar had leveled its gaze on Ranma.

"I'm Ranma Saotome." He said, unnerved by having such a large animal stare at him so intently. The boar kept staring for a moment, before resuming communications.

'You'll do. There is a reason that the springs are giving birth to us. It knows that some great miasma is arising. Not neccesarily an evil, but something that still threatens every life on the planet. Jusenkyou may be a place of great mischief, but she is still protective of the living things she throws her mischief on.'

"I have question, honored Boar."

'Speak, Guide.'

"Will you change like others who fall in spring?"

'No. Children of the Spring will not change when exposed to hot or cold water.'

"Exposed to hot or cold water? What does that do?" Ranma piped up in their conversation

'Was he unconscious for the entire time he was a pheonix?' the little dragon asked, finally awake.

'I am afraid so. He knows not that he is cursed. Allow me to demonstrate.' The Bear spoke again, and with an amazing amount of dexterity, the bear lifted the glass, and upended it on Ranma.

The first thing Ranma noticed was that nothing felt quite right. He looked down, and saw that his shirt was on the floor. And it didn't look quite right. An explanation for everyone: pheonix form Ranma has quinchromal vision instead of normal human trichromal vision.

Trichromal literally means three colors. Human eyes are adapted to detect the Red, Green and Blue light emitted by an object in white light. This means that the eye sees some 16 million colors created by combining the original three in many different ways. However, Ranma's eyes are now picking up two new colors: Infrared and Ultraviolet. Since it is impossible to describe the sensation of something this author has never experienced, he will still try his hardest.

Ranma looked over at the bear. At first glance, it had been a normal color. But after his change, the bear took on a different color. And Ranma didn't think it was one of the colors he'd learned in pre-school. He attempted to say 'Why does everything look so funny', but it'd just come out as a jumbled sound of notes.

'I'd heard legends of Pheonix's sight. Now I'm sure its better than mine. You're probably seeing how I look with all my body heat being translated to light. You're basically seeing heat.' The boar explained.

**This is great and all, but its going to be hard for me to keep up with everyone. What're we gonna call you?**

'Well, you can call me Kuma. After all, its what I am.' Kuma said, and stood up straight, nearly putting his head through the ceiling.

'Call me Buta.' The giant boar said. He continued.

'You can call the little one on my pack Pan.'

"Hi mister!" The two twins had run over to Ranma, and hugged the now fluffy bird.

"I'll be Nami!"

"I'll be Ai!" They both said. By now, Ranma had gotten used to his new body, and had begun to walk around. Despite the spindly limbs, his pheonix form was quite powerful, and he picked up the two girls onto his back. The girls squealed with delight as he sped around the room.

"I'll be Ranko."

**Why does she look so much like me?**

"I look like you because you fell in my spring! I'm basically you, had you been born a girl. Plus my own memories." Ranko was still feeling a little steamed.

Ranma had stopped his little joy ride with Nami and Ai. He noticed that Ranko was wearing his clothes, while Nami and Ai were wearing some of his old gis. He paused for a moment, and then realized the reason. If he'd been human, he'd've turned bright red. But as it is, he was already that color.

"PAPA!" A young girl of about twelve years old came running into the room.

-What is it, Plum?- The man asked.

-Amazons are coming to the valley!- The guide realized they might be after his guests.

"Honored guests, have you angered Amazons recently?"

"Not really made them angry. We just ... left before they were ready for us to. Ranma had become quite popular amongst the girls." The guide nodded and gulped.

"You realize, they chase you son to ends of Earth if they even like him a little?"

"Yes, I do. Ranma, its time you and I take our leave." Genma struck a noble pose, and dashed for the hills, nearly dragging Ranma the entire way. However, once Ranma was out of sight, Ranko felt a nauseous.

'Ranko, are quite alright?'

"Does it look like it, Buta-chan?" She said.

'I simply feel weary that he not nearby. He must have a stronger bond with you than the others because he fell in your spring.' Ranko quickly fell limp.

"Honored Boar, what happen to her?"

'Our power fades as the one chosen by the Spring leaves us. Ranko's bond is stronger, as I already explained, and she must fade more quickly.' The large boar lifted the redhead onto his back.

'I will catch the boy and his father, and stop them so the others may catch up. I'll take Ranko so she can regain her strength. The others will follow suit as soon as they hear the Amazons coming.' And with those words, Buta departed from the hut. A few moments of silence passed, and the Jusenkyou Guide allowed the others to listen for the Amazons.

At the point in time the Amazons were on the far side of the Springs, the Spirits were out the door

The Amazons made it to the hut in what they thought was record time. None of them expected the two they were looking for. Nearly all at once, five girls popped into the hut. Three look familiar: Soap, Wash, and Shampoo. However, two younger girls, maybe a year or two younger than Shampoo are also there. One has light green hair, while the other has a very vibrant shade of crimson hair.

-Where is Ranma Soatome?- Shampoo asked the Guide.

-You just missed him. His father dragged him off for parts unknown.- Shampoo cursed.

-Incense, Candle!- Shampoo barked.

-Yes, leader?- Incense said, her green hair waving. Candle just nodded her red locks.

-Go back and tell Cologne to send us Shower. We'll need her to find Genma's tracks.- The two girls nodded. They quickly got up and rushed out of the hut. The remaining three got up more slowly, and walked out, to begin setting up tents a few hundred yards away from the springs.

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"Buta?"

'Yes, Ranko?'

"Remind me again why we have to follow him."

'Because, we need his help to stop the coming disater. Because you need him for strength, whether you like it or not. Because Nami and Ai have found an older brother in him. Besides, we cannot accomplish our task without someone of this world.'

"But why does it have to be him?" Ranko was beginning to whine. Buta gave a much of a smirk as a boar could.

'Just because you do not like him, does not mean Jusenkyou wouldn't choose him. Personally, I find his enthusiasm refreshing.' Ranko just rolled her eyes, and looked up at the red bird soaring above her.

"I really miss being a ghost."

'Get used to this form. You'll need it more so than your ghostly one.' Ranko slumped down, exhausted from the journey to merely catch Ranma.

A few weeks later, the entire gang is lead by the nose to Mr. Tendo's house.

"I really wish it hadn't started raining."

'I like rain.' Pan countered. She was still a very young dragon, but she was quite intelligent.

"But Ranma doesn't like rain." Nami piped up. Ai and Nami had both bonded quite throughly with Ranma, with sort of a big brother, little sister thing happening.

'Oh, yeah. He turns into a big firebird, doesn't he?' Pan said, scratching her chin.

"It makes him start to smoke. And he can't make those pretty balls when it rains."

'Their called fireballs.' Pan had wrapped herself around Nami's shoulders. Pan was still quite small, only being about three feet long. Whenever she held still, she looked like a big plushie doll. Ranma stood off to the side, his feathers smoking and an annoyed look on his face.

**Can we please get on with it? I'd like to change back now.**

(We're nearly there!) Genma held up a sign. They continued to walk, until they got to the front of a somewhat large house. The sign in front read,

Tendou House and Dojo

Challengers please use back

Entrance.

Note - Due to construction

complications, challengers

please use Front Entrance.

Thank You

Soun Tendou

**Remind me why we're here again?**

(Someone tell me what he just said)

"Ranma-oneekun just said he wanted to know why were here!" Ai said, leaping upon Kuma, trying to get a piggy back ride from the large bear, and succeeding. The twins were very loving, and nearly impossible to seperate.

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Kasumi heard her father calling her from the living. She set the cookies she was baking in the oven, and hurried over to the family room. She wondered if this would involve guests.

Nabiki had heard her father. Barely. She was listening to music while doing her aerobic exercises. She stopped her music, and changed into something a little more covering, and went downstairs.

Akane had just finished her jog session, and was setting up her third set of cinder blocks. She was about to break them when her father ran in.

"AKANE! COME TO THE LIVING ROOM, PLEASE!" Akane almost bruised her hand on the bricks. Pride just a little bruised, she marched into the house, wondering if this was going to be a waste of her time.

"Girls! One of my old friends is coming here!"

"Yeah daddy? So?"

"So? Didn't I tell you before? One of you three is going to be engaged to him!" All of his daughters gave the same basic response.

"WHAT!"

"Daddy, you know all boys are perverts! How could you engage me to one?"

"Wait Akane." Nabiki said, holding her hand up to her sister.

"Do you know anything about him, daddy?"

"Well, I know that you used to play together when you were little. And, the postcard has a picture of him on it." Soun showed his daughters the postcard of the group. Ranma and Genma were in the middle. Ai and Nami were sitting on-top of Buta, and Pan was on Kuma's head. Ranko sat in the middle of the picture, smiling a good smile.

"Ranma's the one with black hair."

"Who's the girl?" Nabiki asked.

"No idea. Possibly, Genma's daughter, be she looks a little older than Ranma, so I don't know. Here's the message:

"Dear Soun,

Bringing Ranma in two weeks

Please expect the follow people

And/ or animals at your door

One Grizzly Bear

One Dire Boar

One Shenlong Dragon

Two-Five year old Girls

One Sixteen Year old Girl

One Pheonix or Fifteen year old boy

One Panda or me

Genma"

"Daddy? Why does your friend think that he's traveling with a pheonix and a dragon?" Soun flipped the card over. He looked at the picture hard.

"Well, there's his dragon." He said, pointing at Pan. Nabiki looked at the picture, and then dead-panned,

"It looks like he painted a lizard gold."

"Anyway, they should be here ... sometime today! And there coming from China. Everyone go get ready!" Akane harrumphed, and walked back out to the dojo. Nabiki smiled. She went upstairs, and grabbed her kimono. She didn't get very many chances at a boyfriend, and she knew she'd need a husband sometime in her life. Besides, trips to China weren't all that cheap. Kasumi wandered back in the kitchen, and started cooking an extra batch of cookies. She had to feed her guests, right?

There was a very loud knock at the door.

Kasumi walked over to the door. She was quickly joined by Nabiki in her spring kimono.

"Ooh, it must be Ranma!" She said excitedly. Kasumi opened the door, and took a mental note.

One Large Bear

One Very Big Boar

One Teenage Girl

Two Small Identical Twin Girls

One Small, Golden Reptile

One Panda

One Very Fluffy Bird

No Teenage boy

No Old Man

"Oh, can I help you?"

(Yes. I'm Genma. Could you please get us some warm water please?)

"Oh. Well, while you're waiting, please come in."

'Thank you. Is there someplace Buta can go, to get out of the rain? He's too big to get into here.' Kasumi was startled when the bear talked to her without moving his mouth, but heeded the wish.

"Yes. There is a dojo out back. It has very large doors. Nabiki, run and tell Akane that she's about to have some very ... different company.

'Thank you, miss...?' Buta said.

"Oh, my, I forgot, didn't I? I'm Kasumi."

'Thank you, miss Kasumi.'

While everyone shuffled in, Ranma immeadiately began to dry out, his body going through the motions of drying off automatically. He soon returned to his normal looking state. He had only landed on the couch arm when a loud noise nearly shook him from his perch.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Akane came screaming out of the dojo, and into the house.

"THAT THING TALKED TO ME!" She screamed.

'Please. We're not things. We're intelligent beings. I'm probably smarter than you are.' Pan had her pride, and it was her intellect.

"AAHHH! THE LIZARD TALKED!"

'I'm a dragon!' Pan said, very annoyed. She opened her mouth and out poured a high-pressure pillar of water that blew Akane into the wall. Kasumi then returned with the kettle, and saw Ranma-pheonix, frowning at the water on the floor before she saw it quickly evaporating into apparent nothingness. Nabiki went to change out of her kimono, as it was soaked now, and into some casual clothes. However, both Kasumi and Nabiki, still in her damp Kimono, said the same thing when they saw Ranma.

"KAWAII!" They immeadiately jumped to hug the bird, which made him panic, and a general run about the room. Genma picked up the kettle, and followed suit. Kasumi and Nabiki latched onto the boy finally, but he didn't notice until they both grabbed onto the couch to stop themselves. Ranma stopped short, and the two cuddled up to the cute bird.

"Excuse me. Could you please let go of my son?"

"This is just a cute birdy." Nabiki said.

"I'll show you he's not just a cute birdy." The two girls released Ranma, and Genma pour the rest of the kettle on Ranma. Ranma reappeared, wearing nothing but his pants, and said,

"I'm Ranma Saotome. Sorry 'bout this."

A.N. Hoped you liked the dust off. How come everyone seems to use this particular line in Ranma fanfiction? Any, reviews still appreciated. Ja ne!


	3. Acquaintance and Discovery

A.N. I'm fixing the Ranko character in this chapter. She wasn't meant to be an Akane clone, but still angry with Ranma. It was supposed be a sorrowful rage, which is what I'll try to convey now

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

**Pheonix Talk** (Only Children of the spring, little kids, and people who truly believe in Ranma can understand this)

-Chinese-

_Thoughts or Emphasis_

(Panda Signs or Sign Language)

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Children of the Spring

Second Chapter - Acquaintance and Discovery

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Ranma sat at the table turning a fine shade of burgundy. He had learned that he was going to be engaged to one of the girls sitting at the table. His original opinion of girls had been that they were all weak and they all needed his protection.

His year with the Amazons had changed that.

Girls before puberty were nice, kind, needed his protection and required massive amounts of attention to keep t hem from screaming.

Girls in puberty were dangerous. VERY dangerous. Ranma wanted to avoid them as much as possible because they defied every rule of logic that had been laid down by him.

Adult women were also confusing, but seemed to control the impulses that girls in puberty couldn't so Ranma was fairly calm around them.

"So, I'm getting engaged?" Ranma said, feeling Akane's burning gazes on him. Nabiki was looking at him with an odd mixture of adorement and icy glare on her face. Kasumi had a look on her face that was almost unreadable, but still looked kind. Ranko had a look of pity on her face that was quickly diverted elsewhere

"Correct, m'boy!" Mr. Tendou said, slapping him on the back. Ranma flinched, but not in pain.

"I think that this is crazy." Ranko said.

'Indeed.' Buta said.

'Ranma still needs time to even get to know these girls. If you two men are going to be stubborn-'

"Which we are." Genma said.

'-then allow the boy three or four months to get to know the girls. He can't make that kind of descision on impulse. It defies all logic.' Buta declared

"But the pact must be upheld!" Mr. Tendou readied himself to launch his demon head, before Kuma spoke.

'It's not being broken. It's being delayed. I see Buta's reason. Plus, we need time to train him for whatever's coming. Trust the spring to give the boar all the info.'

'A bear, while strong, clever, and resourceful, would never remember it all.' Kuma stuck his tongue out at the Dire Boar, who returned the favor.

"Ah. I see. Ranma still has training. Can it be done here?" Mr. Tendou suddenly went to being all business.

'Do you have a backyard?' Buta asked, with all seriousness in his voice.

"Yes, but-"

'It will suffice, sir. Young Housekeeper?' Kasumi had quickly adapted to the proverbial names that the spring spirits used.

"Yes, Buta-san?"

'I would like to see about helping you with a garden. Will you accompany me to the area?' Kasumi smiled.

"I don't know why you need a garden, but I would certainly be glad to help. What do you need in the garden?" Buta smiled, as wickedly a boar could.

'Tomatoes.'

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Half a world away, Cologne was perched in front of six Amazons. These six needed Ranma on so many levels that she couldn't even begin to describe what they all were.

First was her great-granddaughter, Shampoo, and elder-successor hopeful. Before Ranma had entered her life, she was a bubbly, slightly ditzy girl whose only future was to take her great-grandmother's place on the elder counsel. Now, after having been being beaten by Ranma, she was less ditzy and more focused, but she still retained her energetic bubbliness and charm. She was wearing a lavender tank-top, and a miniskirt, and held two bonbori near her sides.

Next was her Great-grandniece, Shower, arguably the best tracker in the entire Amazon nation. She still didn't understand how the girl found a needle in a haystack, just by sticking her arm in the haystack. Cologne wasn't sure how Ranma had touched her life, she only knew he had. She didn't let him get out of the village without knowing where he was trying to go. She sat garbed in a solid black catsuit, bow and quiver sitting at her side.

Then was one of her ally's apprentices, Wash. She had lost to Shampoo in the Quarter-finals of the tournament, but that seemed only to cement their friendship. There was hardly a day when the two weren't training together. Ranma had been the cause of that. They both wanted to beat him, just to have one victory over him, but they could only stand a chance together. Apart, they stood no chance at all. She was dressed in a traditional knee-skirt and crop-top warrior's garb, her bo staff behind her.

Soap was a mystery to her. She was the Lore-keeper in training, but also held a deeply seated hatred of most men, a few being pardoned, namely her father and Ranma. She must have seen something special inside the boy to even let down her icy shields for a second. He was one of the few who could bring amusement to her face. She wore a short robe, a deep emerald color, her twin daggers in their sheaths at her hips.

Incense and Candle were sisters, only a year apart. Incense was fierce and proud, taking on her martial arts with an inhuman vigor. Her weapons were sometimes so caked with blood-ink, that they stained. Candle, on the other hand, hid her nose in a book, usually one on mystical arts. She was fast becoming the best spiritualist sorceress in the village. Incense was wearing capris she had bought on an outing trip, as well as an overshawl on top of some kind of shirt. Her twin sabres glinted in the sunlight. Candle was wearing a conservative shirt, along with a combat-long shirt, her spear sitting beside her, and her fingers running against the spine of a book. Ranma had saved both of them in different ways.

Candle had been sitting in a clearing, meditating. She was so focused on her spellwork, that she never noticed the three Musk warriors charged the clearing. She had but time to scream, as she had left her spear at home. Ranma had heard the scream. Her fought off the Musk, but not before terrible things had happened to Candle. Candle's body was broken, beaten, and used. And Ranma had barely gotten her to Cologne in time.

It would be some time before Candle would speak again. Incense was incredibly grateful to Ranma for bringing her sister home alive.

Yet, one person had brought them all together. He had reached out to them in their times of need. Every one of the girls in the room owed Ranma some form of debt, and to repay it, they had wanted to marry him to do so. However, Cologne forbade it. This action had seriously been against her better judgment. In other circumstance, Ranma would have six wives now. However, one divination spell had knocked her off her rocker, and onto the floor.

She had seen madness in the village. Genma had wanted his son back so badly that he had gotten the Japanese government fooled, and they had brought in an entire platoon of troops to get Ranma back. The six girls died trying to keep him in the village. And then, in the vision, Ranma had snapped. Before Ranma himself died, there were only two people left on the entire scene - herself and Genma. The vision had ended then.

She wanted Ranma in her family, but not so much that she would destroy her kinsfolk. She had him brought in another way. The six girls swore him in as their blood brother. While this kept them from marrying him, it didn't keep them from fooling around with him.

What? Cologne wanted his genes in the tribe _somehow_.

- Shower, have you found Genma's trail?-

- Yes, Honored Elder. Genma's trail leaves headed back for Japan. Are we going to persue him, and bring our brother back?- Cologne shook her head.

- No. We're going there to build an annexation of the Amazon nation. We cannot keep up with the countries with nuclear weapons, but we can survive by spreading ourselves slowly and quietly.- The girls nodded.

(How are we going to get there? And how soon will we leave?)

- We will leave three days from now. We'll get there in five. I already have several buildings bought for in the country, we'll use one.- The girls nodded again, and moved to leave. Cologne spoke again.

- Girls, before you leave, I have a final question for you.- They all answered

- Yes?-

- Are you coming with me because I told you you were, or are you going because you love your brother.- The girls looked back and forth, before Wash spoke for them.

- I believe we all are going for both reasons. We love our brother, but we would never go against what you say, Honored Elder.- Cologne lightly bopped Wash over the head.

- It is good to listen to me, but do not blindly follow me. I would let you stay behind to help rebuild if you wanted to.- No one spoke.

- Get ready to travel.-

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Ranma had thanked the gods for Buta's excuse. He was lost in thought, so he never heard Nabiki sneaking up behind him with a glass of cold water.

Nabiki thought about the engagment deal. She could get a boyfriend out of this, but Ranma seemed to not know how to act around girls. He never once tried to look at any other body part other than her head. She found it cute. But, right now, she was feeling cuddly, and that pheonix form of his was looking pretty attractive.

Needless to say, Ranma was agitated when he transformed.

**Why did you do that?** Nabiki just giggled. All she had heard was a great song. However, Kasumi stepped into the room the moment he had begun to sing.

"Did you just change Ranma, Nabiki? He doesn't sound to happy." Kasumi said, sitting next to Ranma, while Nabiki cuddled the large bird.

"He just sang a bunch of notes. How do you know he's not happy? He's got a girl squeezing her boobs in his side." At the mention of said body part, Ranma began to wiggle, trying to escape. He was panicking.

**Please let me go. Please?**

"Nabiki, please be a dear and do what the poor boy's asking of you." Nabiki stared at her.

"What's he asking for?"

"For you to let him go." Nabiki let him go, and he hopped across the room, and turned around, facing Kasumi.

**Thank you Kasumi.**

"You're welcome Ranma." Nabiki was beginning to get frustrated.

"How do you know what he's saying?"

"Well, I just trust Ranma to tell me the truth, and I can hear him."

**I think it has something to do with trusting or believing in me.** Ranma said, while pecking at some unruly feathers. Kasumi nodded. Nabiki had no idea what he'd said.

"Can you tell me what he said?"

"He said that trusting him or believing in him might allow you to hear him." Nabiki looked very confused.

"How would _that_ allow me to hear me?"

**I came to that conclusion because Pops can't hear me, and neither can most adults. Little kids and so can the guys from the Spring.**

"What's he say now?"

"He said he come to the conclusion as his father cannot hear what he says, but little children can. I trust Ranma, so I guess that's why I can hear him." Nabiki smiled.

"Ranma. Ranko doesn't seem to like you that much. Why can she hear you?"

**Buta explained that to me once. It has something to do with the fact that I fell into her spring before I fell into the spring of drowned Pheonix. He says I've got some sort of bond with her.** Ranko was listening in on this conversation. Why could she hear Ranma if she didn't trust him? Did she not trust him? She was so confused about this boy – and she hated the confusion.

"Right. Maybe I'll just trust Ranma."

**Good Choice.** Nabiki was a bit startled.

"Come again?"

**Oh, I hate this. This is what happens when someone's only half-trying to even like me, and they're forcing themselves to trust me. I'm going flying. Where are Ai and Nami, Kasumi?** Nabiki looked on with a confused look.

"They're outside helping Buta with the Tomatoes." Ranma nodded and walked out the door, opening and closing it with his beak. Kasumi turned to Nabiki.

"I think he's trustworthy, Nabiki. You should give him your full trust."

"You think everyone's trustworthy."

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It was several hours later that Ranma returned home with Ai and Nami, asleep on his back. Ranko and Akane were taking turns watching the sky for any sign of him. When he got back, it was Akane's turn.

"OI! PERVERT! GET DOWN HERE!" Ranma was puzzled at why he was being called names.

**What'd I do to you?** Of Course, Akane being Akane, didn't understand a note of what Ranma sang.

"WHAT'S YOU DO TO THEM! I BET IT WAS SOMETHING REALLY BAD!" Ranma had a really angry, confused look on his face. One of his veins popped out.

**Now, look here lady -**

"I'LL AVENGE YOU AI AND NAMI!" Obviously, Akane had taken a liking to the two little girls that scared them while they were awake. Akane launched a flying kick at Ranma, who ducked it easily.

Ranma remembered one of his many conversations with Buta. Supposedly, all pheonixes were creatures of great intellect and passion. This was why he had such a hard time controlling his impulses in this form.

Something about the unbridled passions of the Great Fire Birds.

Ranma was ticked off. This girl was attacking him when she didn't have any of the facts right, and he was in a situation where he couldn't explain himself.

His only option: Fight Back. And fight he did. He used his superior agility to dodge all of Akane's frontal assaults, and pecked at her several times, at the joints and on her body. In mid-kick, Akane's body gave out from underneath her. She collapsed in a useless heap on the ground. She tried to lift her head, and managed to look at Ranma.

"What'd you do!" She screamed.

**I paralyzed you. Should wear off in a couple of minutes.**

"Ranko!!" Ai and Nami had woken up in all the shouting, and had caught sight of the girl pouting on the roof. The two twins rushed over to hug her, which she seemed to welcome.

Maybe now was a good time to get some answers.

**Ranko? Can I ask you a few questions?** He stepped lightly towards the slouching girl who tensed when she heard him.

"Don't come any closer." She said, sounding almost panicked.

**Can I just ask-** Ranko cut him off. He hadn't stopped advancing.

"I said don't come any closer!" and with a large hammer marked SS-4, she took a swing at the bird-boy, who beat a hasty retreat into the night sky. Pan flew up to the roof, having heard the commotion."

'What is it, Daughter of the Spring?'

"I can't stand it when Ranma gets too close to me." Ranko responded. Ai and Nami looked up at her and spoke in unison.

"Why?"

"Because I see things happening. Horrible things happening to me. Cruel things I'd wish on no one. Not even Ranma." She spoke out loud. A though occurred to Pan.

'You have a bond with Ranma right? Who says those events are happening to you?' Pan said. Ranko looked sickened at the very thought.

"Masaka…."

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Ranma came back after lights out. He quietly slipped into his room, and fell asleep, after changing forms. He was awoken rudely by a bucket to the face in the morning.

"I hope you fizzle out." Akane was still ticked from the previous night. She had had to scream for one of her sisters to come and get her. Then Tofuu had to release the pressure point late at night. Ranma had misgauged his power and paralyzed her for overnight.

Ranma knew that he should try and avoid her.

After he used the furo, without running into anyone, he ate breakfast, with three people between him and his father. When the two Tendou girls were off to school, he and Ranko were handed bookbags. They looked at Genma strangely.

"You'll be going to school. I'll not have you in trouble with the authorities. That goes for you too, little girl." Ranko grit her teeth. She wanted to hit Genma for his insults. Ranma just shrugged, and followed after Nabiki and Akane. Ranko sat there sizzling. She quickly got up and followed after the boy.

A.N. Right. For those of you who asked earlier, Ranma's Pheonix form is something of a mingling of creatures. I had described him in the next chapter, but I'll re-iterate here. He is a copper, orange, and red bird about the size and shape of a roadrunner, but with more extravagant plumage. The skin is a metallic copper, and the beak and claws are black. He is capable of manipulating fire as well as catching on fire with no ill effects and breathing fire. Secondly, he is capable regenerating, leaving ash in the air near wherever he regenerates. Thirdly, he can lend this healing power to others, but while doing so cannot use it himself. Fourthly, if anyone here plays Dungeons and Dragons, look up Phoera in the Monster Manual III. You'll get an interesting surprise about what I'm almost surely going to use later. Lastly, rain, or water in general, dampens his fiery powers, but it actually strengthens his healing powers, allowing him to heal himself and others at the same time.


	4. Firsts

A.N. I'll just re-state that I spell Pheonix like that so its easier when I introduce the Phoenix people later on in the story. Yes, they will be here, eventually.

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

**Pheonix Talk** (Only Children of the spring, little kids, and people who truly believe in Ranma can understand this)

-Chinese-

_Thoughts or Emphasis_

(Panda Signs or Sign Language)

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Children of the Spring

Third Chapter - Firsts

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Ranma and Ranko had caught up to Nabiki and Akane. Ranma hopped up on the fence, and began to run. Akane had begun to fume, and Ranko was throwing Ranma venomous looks. Akane exploded when they got to the gates.

"I HATE BOYS!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She ran into the forming mob, and began to lash out at the boys dressed in various sports uniforms and costumes, shouting things such as:

"AKANE!"

"I LOVE YOU!"

"MARRY ME!"

"WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME!"

"I CAN'T SEE!" Wait. That's after she hit that kid in the face. She had finished the crowd off, and Nabiki spoke.

"Wow, Akane. Three minutes, nineteen seconds. You shaved a whole half-minute off your record." Nabiki began to collect her winnings, when someone stepped out from behind a tree and threw something at Akane.

Akane lashed out, and mangled the innocent rose who had been flung at her.

"Truly such a boorish lot. They all would see it as to keep you for their own. But I am wiser. I know that one as wild as yourself cannot be tamed - only loved, and cared for. I Tatewaki Kuno shall bring harmony between us star-crossed lovers!" Kuno raised his bokken at the end of this, and Ranma stuck his finger in his ear, before he began to walk by. Kuno immediately intervened.

"KNAVE! Who art thou that is not struck in awe by my presence?"

"I am-" Kuno interrupted"

"But is it not custom to give your own name first? So be it! I am Tatewaki Kuno, rising kendo star, Champion of Furinkan High, The noble BLUE THUNDER!" When Kuno finished, a lightning bolt cleaved the sky, dark rain clouds rolling in behind it. Ranma began to get worried.

"Look, pal. I don't want to interfere. You just continue to -" Ranma was cut off, as it immediately began to POUR, drenching everyone in the vicinity. However, when Ranma transformed, his shirt began to constrict about him, and his pants totally vanished.

"What's this? A man had turned into a bird? TIS A SIGN FROM HEAVEN! See, it doth truly look like a wet pheonix! O noble bird, tell me that my path is true and just!"

**I think you're a total loony.** Ranma said, only Ranko understanding him.

"I knew it! My path is true! I pursue Akane on!" Kuno, who had yet to take notice of Ranko, ran off into the distance, to some poor rosebush to deflower it (Again, perverts, please take the _literal_ definition).

Ranma, whose shirt had been grabbed by Nabiki, had found some hot water, and changed back. He sighed. He knew it would be a problem if he walked around in only his pants and shoes. He walked out of the restroom, and bumped into Nabiki. Nabiki noticed this.

"Ranma! Guess what I've got?"

"My shirt?" he asked hopefully.

"Yep! And I know the perfect price for you to retrieve it for, too!"

"Price?" Before Ranma could say more, Nabiki pulled out a water pistol, and squirted the poor boy in the face. Nabiki had her cuddle toy, and began her cuddling regimen.

Needless to say, Ranma was fairly vexed.

**Even though I know its useless, Can I have my shirt back?** Nabiki just giggled.

"No, I'm not letting go. You'll have to deal with the boobs this time." Ranma panicked again. This time, he wasn't constrained with space, so he stood up and bolted down the hall at top speed, Nabiki trailing like a flag behind.

"OKAY, OKAY! YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SHIRT!" She screamed. One too many doors had nearly just taken her head off. Ranma stopped running, and put his shirt back on after receiving some hot water from the nearby men's room.

Then the bell rang.

"Shit." Nabiki said. "C'mon, you're late for class."

"Huh? What about you?"

"We've got homeroom, and I've got an excuse. I always drag Kuno to the infirmary before classes. I can afford to be late to first period."

Ranma and Nabiki walked to class. Ranma was introduced, and luckily, seated far away from Akane who looked like she wanted to lynch him. Ranko just simply paid attention to the teacher, leaving Ranma still in doubt whether the girl hated him or was afraid of him or ….

Ranma knew it was going to be a long time to lunch.

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Cologne inhaled, taking in the smells of the Japanese port they had just landed in.

- Now, remember, we're in Japan now, so those of you that can, speak Japanese.- Shampoo, Wash, Shower, and Incense nodded. Soap looked bored, and Candle had her nose in a book. Cologne swiftly hit Soap, who nodded her agreement.

The seven moved swiftly towards their destination, and old warehouse that Cologne had transformed into a mini-bunker. They would stay there until they could locate their quarry. Cologne clutched a letter in her hand.

The letter was a plea for help, but neither of the Amazon's neighbors had even wanted to listen. She hoped it would convince the girl's Blood Brother to return. Mere hours before she had left the village, a strange plant had come crawling into town, and had taken root in the town square.

And promptly begun to grow rapidly, absorbing buildings, nutrients, and even a few unlucky people. Cologne knew that something bad was going to happen soon- however, she didn't know what it was.

And now, she was wishing it had never come. She recomposed herself and started giving orders.

"Shower! Wash! You two begin to look for Ranma! The rest of you, with me to our abode. We shall make camp, and wait for the other two to return." She also signed this, as Candle had learned sign language from her. They both nodded, as did Shampoo and Soap.

"Great-grandmother, Why we no helping sisters?" Shampoo asked.

"They'll be fine on their own. Just give your trust to them." Shampoo nodded.

"Elder, while Shower and Wash are skilled, they might get distracted." Soap said.

"They won't get distracted at the same time." Unfortunately, the two were very distracted.

Needless to say they had found their target. They had been given orders to find Ranma, a task they had expected to take all day. When they saw him fighting in a courtyard, they were mesmerized like schoolgirls.

And then it had begun rain. There was a distinct SCHLUP noise. While Shower had stood unaffected, Wash had transformed. And it wasn't you average Jusenkyou curse.

Wash had grown several feet, her clothes absorbed into her new body. Her shape was still generally human, but it had no distinct features. Her entire body was composed of stone and dirt.

Er, make that mud. Shower collected Wash's weapon, and sighed. During the shower, Ranma had slipped away, and she realized that they should probably report to Cologne.

"C'mon Wash. Maybe she'll have some hot water ready when we get back." Wash nodded her huge head. They headed back, now knowing one of the places to find their quarry.

You really didn't expect them to _not_ know what a school was, did you?

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The lunch bell rang. Ranma had fallen asleep in the hallway. Doing vertical push-ups with buckets of water on his feet. Who cares if its not practically possible, this is Ranma we're talking about!

Ranko looked at the boy with a stern look. She didn't like the confusing way he made her feel. He caused her so many different kinds of pain while he was awake, she couldn't stand to be near him. When he was asleep, it was so reassuring that even her torment was still mortal, she nearly smiled when he was. Still, he needed waking up before someone did something horrible to what Buta had basically explained as her life-source.

Ranko smirked. She gave Ranma a light shove and then backpedaled quite a ways away.

Ranma had about a half a second to respond. He tumbled out of the way, and onto his toes. Directly in the path of the buckets.

Ranma was once again trapped in his shirt, Ranko looked down on him.

**Right. Can you please help me out of my shirt?** Ramna pleaded. Ranko just turned her back and threw over her shoulder.

"I'll just leave you for the 'cute and cuddly animal club'." Ranma's eyes widened, as Tatewaki, and several cute girls, rounded the corner top speed.

"O, Oracle of the Flaming Sky! I wish a word with thee!" Tatewaki had a cage in his hand, roughly his size. The girls all were wearing somewhat skimpy clothes that vaguely resembled sleepwear.

_Oh, screw the shirt. I'm running._

Ranma took off top speed down the hall, pausing in the room to snatch his bento out of the room. Luckily it had stopped raining. He leapt out of the window, and glided to the ground. While the girls stayed in the classroom, Tatewaki followed him out the window.

_The cage is nice, but there's no way he's keeping ME._

Ranma categorized his fireballs into three categories - Small, Large, and HOLY SHIT THAT'S HUGE! Or, respectively Category 1, 2 or 3.

Ranma fired off a warning shot, a Cat 1 fireball at the insane kendoist. Slightly singed, he continued on. Ranma released Cat 2's repeatedly, the orbs not even slowing down the other boy.

When the Cat 3 orb exploded, Kuno went flying, and everyone nearby fell to the gound after flying into the air. Ranma didn't feel too proud of himself, but at least the moron was gone.

However, one nearby girl who hadn't been caught in the blast decided it was a good idea to chuck a nearby statue at him. Akane was pissed and Ranma didn't know why. She glared daggers at him as she began shouting.

"YOU PERVERT!! YOU DID THAT JUST TO SEE THEIR UNDERWEAR!!!" Ranma had no idea how she came to this conclusion, and just simply flew away.

Or tried to, at least. Akane had managed to lasso him, and now he was level with the ground, but still pulling Akane away at a good clip. Akane's feet gave out only a few hundred meters later.

She let him go. With the extra momentum, he would have been scot-free had not been on a collision course with Ranko.

_Will I go crazy this time? Will it finally not happen? Will it-_

She didn't get anymore questions as it started.

MeMoRy ShOcK

_"Get up, boy." Genma had a full head, if thin, of hair. He was standing over Ranko, who was lying on the ground._

_"GET UP!" Genma shouted and kicked Ranko in the ribs. We see the person wearing a small gi._

_"N-no. P-please, n-no." Ranko pleaded, not wanting to do whatever it was he was commanding._

_"GET UP NOW!" Genma picked up Ranko, and threw her into the nearby water. As she descends on the water's face, she sees a face._

_Its a very young face, but still, it sticks out in one's mind. She recognizes it almost instantly._

_It was Ranma._

EnD

Ranko broke out into tears. Pan had been right. She was reliving Ranma's memories. She looked down to see why the memory had stopped.

Ranma was nowhere to be seen. Ranko collapse and Akane ran over to her.

"Ranko, are you alright?" Akane brought her head up to look her in the eyes. Ranko, even though making eye contact, didn't see Akane.

"She was right. Oh God, she was right. How did… How…" breaking down into hysterics, Akane had the unfortunate task of dragging her back to the Tendou compound for some rest.

About an hour later, Ranko and Akane were back at the Tendou compound. Ranma was having no such luck. Unlike Akane, he didn't know the layout of Nermia very well. He was absolutely lost.

_This is what that kid had to deal with every day. No wonder he asked me for help._

Out of the blue, a rock went flying by his head. A very large rock the size of his human head. And then there was another. Soon, the entire sky was full of very large rocks, some bigger than his current body.

Ranma dropped a Cat 3 in the sky, and hoped to God that his regenerative factor in his pheonix form would be good enough to let him survive crashing into the ground. The Rocks were vaporized. Ranma was falling, and fast. Then, a purple blur moved into the area, and snatched the falling bird out of the sky.

Shampoo had caught Ranma, and carried the large bird inside with Candle's help.

"Oof. Birdy Ranma add weight." Candle just nodded. When they set him down, Candle's hands went into action. Her hands made some arcane signs, as well as mixing in sign language symbols at certain moments. After about a minute, Candle placed her hands on Ranma. The singed and lost feathers replaced themselves, and Ranma's beak fixed itself. Ranma sat up, as best a bird could do, and said

**What the hell hit me?**

"Ranma get hit by Wash throw rocks. Ranma OK?" Ranma nodded.

**Feels like someone fixed me up. Did a good job too.** Candle just blushed. Shampoo moved closer to the boy.

"Shampoo miss Brother Ranma. Did Ranma miss Shampoo?" Shampoo latched onto him.

**Y-yeah, I-i did.** This action had become much harder for Ranma since Nabiki's teasing had undone about a month of hard work. Shampoo smiled.

"Great-grandmother come back soon. Incense making hot water." Ranma sighed in relief.

**That's great.** When the other five entered entered, the air of the room became tense.

**What's up, Cologne?** Ranma moved to douse himself, but Cologne held the kettle away from him.

"I'll leave you like that so I don't have to translate what you say." Ranma nodded, as her tone booked no argument. Cologne sighed.

"What's up? The village is completely destroyed. Most escaped, but the manner was most peculiar. A giant plant sprouted up in the middle of the village and crushed all the buildings. It doesn't seem engineered by any of our enemies, but, it was so powerful. One of them had to have done it. But neither are admitting to it." Ranma's look suddenly went pensive.

**The prophecy.** He said. Cologne raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean boy? What do you know?"

**I found out after I had left. Kuma explained it to me. He spouted something fanciful out, that I can't remember how it goes. The general jist is, something, not entirely evil, but not good either, will come to the Asian land and spread throughout the world. Humans will be less perceptive, and nearly unaware of the changes. Jusenkyou will choose a champion to beat back this phenomena, and hopefully, humanity, which holds the magic weave together, won't die out completely.** Cologne nodded.

"That sounds something like what happened to us."

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In a mountain range far from Japan, something stirs. It regains consciousness, and moves. The cavern its in is in seemingly total darkness. The shifting creature seems to lighten some of the darkness.

Or maybe, simply, the darkness itself shifted. A voice speaks

"Humans have destroyed the world. I knew they were imperfect when I helped to make them, but I never thought it would get this far. I will start over.

"Jusenkyou's champion will fall. I will not allow some sentient springs, a few animals, and a magically empowered bird beat me. The more humans harm the earth, the more the basic elements will continue to attack them. This vicious cycle will undo them.

"The night children will be so much better. So much better. In the morning I will create. Tonight, I begin their creation." The darkness moved something shaped like a had, and instantly five blue globs of what can only be described at shadow appeared before the darker darkness.

They took form. First four legs, then two legs and two arms, then a tail, then two more arms, taken away and two more legs, taken away again and wings that were almost arm-like were added.

There they were. Their eyes glowed like embers in the dark, their upper arms lifting them into the air, their lower arms grasping like baby bird for food, and their feet looking for something to perch on. Darkness made an arm, and the Night Children instantly grabbed on, hanging upside down. The arm ejected tridents which the Children instantly grabbed.

"Tommorrow, the purgery of harm from the heart of the world begins."

A.N. I'll answer the new reviews chapter after next.


	5. Invasion Flowers

A.N. The first actually new chapter instead of a revamp of an older chapter. Hopefully I can continue what I started all that time ago.

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

**Pheonix Talk** (Only Children of the spring, little kids, and people who truly believe in Ranma can understand this)

-Chinese-

_Thoughts or Emphasis_

_Telepathic Communication_

(Panda Signs or Sign Language)

0000000000

Children of the Spring

Fourth Chapter – Invasion Flowers

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Akane looked at Ranko worriedly. She hadn't lost her sad visage since Ranma had collided with her. What could possibly be wrong with her friend?

_Maybe that perv did something to her._

"Did Ranma do something to you? Should I go and bring him her so you can hit him?" Ranko violently shook her head, and she moved to the verge of tears.

"Just keep him away. Away. I don't want to see anymore…" Ranko started shuddering, and Akane tried to embrace the other girl, but she recoiled at the touch. Buta stuck his nose on the porch, and Ranko clinged to it. Akane was shocked. Why would she go to the huge, scary pig for comfort, but not her? It didn't make any sense.

She didn't get a chance to make a big deal about it. Something moved on the edge of her vision, and she tried to catch it, but it was gone. Whatever it had been, it had looked like a shadow on the wall, so she looked up to see where it was.

'Violent-chan, we need to talk.' Akane didn't like the tone in Kuma's voice. A grizzly bear wasn't happy with her. Not much she could do about it, though. She smiled, and tried to ease her way into the conversation, but Kuma would have none of it.

Pan watched Kuma lead Akane away from the shivering Ranko. She sighed,

_Kuma's a nicer guy than he looks like, Akane. He's not trying to talk to you, he's trying to keep you from saying something stupid to further upset Ranko._ Pan sighed again, and flew off to find Ranma, tired as she was. Ranma had been gone too long, and he needed to come back. She was the perfect candidate for finding him, as she could fly and fit into tiny spaces undetected. She could get anywhere he could.

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Ranma reads the letter that Cologne wrote for the other two Jusenkyou inhabitants.

"They turned you down after they read this?" Ranma inquired, shocked.

"They turned us down _before_ they read it. They're probably regretting not reading it now." Cologne said, a small, sarcastic smile on her face.

"Are they OK?" Ranma asked, looking about the room at the various sleeping forms, including one very large Earth Elemental. Cologne nodded.

"They are better now that they know their Blood Brother is safe. Why did you leave us so suddenly?" Cologne's response was designed just to keep him talking – to keep him from leaving.

"The girls here tried to kill Oyaji. He took that as a sign to high-tail it. I couldn't just leave him, and besides, the vice-grip he had on my arm wasn't brooking any argument." Ranma smirked.

"I think I needed to see you all again. It gives me hope that the whole world isn't insane."

'I think you'll discover, that most people aren't insane. They just aren't equipped to deal with you.' Cologne was instantly alert, but Ranma pulled her staff away.

"They're getting tired, aren't they, Pan?" Ranma asked the dragon. Pan nodded her head, and turned around.

'We need to get back before they fade away.' Cologne was in a panic. Ranma couldn't leave yet!

"I know Ranma trusts you, but we also have need of him! Our village has been destroyed and -" Pan cut her off.

'Your village is simply the first victim of many. It will try to strangle Jusenkyou first, but It will fail, and It will spread out to the far reaches of the Earth looking for a way to strangle the Springs. And they'll win if we can't prepare Ranma to fight them."

"Them? Who are you talking about, child?" Pan's eye twitched.

'I'm only twelve physically, but I've had nearly 4500 years to learn things. Don't call me child. As for who, I'm talking about what ever It has created to replace humans."

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Back at the Amazon village, the Amazons are building up defenses along both the border with the strange plant, and against their neighbors. Many guards were posted to watch the plant, to make sure it didn't try to eat their new encampment. To their surprise earlier in the day, the plant went into spectacular bloom.

Needless to say, when the plant that smashed their village did _**anything**_ the Amazon paid rapt attention, holding their weapons in ready position.

Elder Perm stared out the plant with her old eyes and went wide-eyed. Something was moving on the _inside_ of the plant.

-Tell the archers to ready their bows.- She told a messenger, who hurried off with her message. Perm pulled a hilt from her belt, with no sword attached, and readied herself for anything. To her surprise, the blooms closed up for a moment, and her mind drifted to a book she had seen earlier in her 200 year life.

It has shown the organs of a human body. She had memorized it and brought the knowledge back to the village. She had paid particular attention to one of the organs that makes a woman a woman.

_The look like wombs. Flowery, fluffy wombs._

Just as suddenly as they had closed, the flowers opened, expelling five Night Children into the air, to which they unfurled their wings and began to fly.

-ARCHERS!! OPEN FIRE!!- Try as they might, the archers could hardly hit the surprisingly agile Children. Those who did manage a hit found that their arrows merely seemed to slowly pass through them.

Perm activated the hilt, which emitted a burning green blade that seemed to bite the very air. She waited for one of the creatures to come near her, and struck. The creature cried out, a sound that seemed to shake her shadow more than her. The Night Child retreated from her, but in the process ran its weapon along the ground and through some of her warriors. They collapsed almost instantly.

_I'm the only one who can defend them. I have the only weapon that can even harm them._

The Night Children seemed only curious as to why the people around their mother-tree were trying to harm them, and why they died so very easily. They only had touch, and a human fell over dead.

No matter. It was time to do their job.

-Everyone, evacuate!!- Perm's order seemed odd, but she had no idea when or even if these things might return.

_I must stop them here and now._ Perm ran, her entire 6' frame lurching as she did so. She was tall for her age, but she had never stopped training a day in her life she wasn't sick. She was still in good condition. The Night Children just seemed to ignore her.

One stopped. He felt like playing with this one, sensing she did too. He tore at her with his claws, a normal way for a Night Child to play tag. She swiped at him with her sword, burning the shadeling. It recoiled. Well, if she wanted to play like that, so be it! The Night Child immediately dove for her throat, using the finger like appendages on its wings to do that while following up with his trident. She could only block one or the other of the assaults.

She thrust for its head, hoping that her death would at least rid the world of one of these creatures. But a soon as it's prongs were upon her, the creature dissipated and turned into nothing more than a gust of wind. She looked around. All she could see was the back of a man – it had to be a man, no woman, Amazon or otherwise, stood like that – and the long, flowing ponytail trailing down his back.

**I will take care of the others. Oh, look, here they come.** The Night Children had abandoned their task only momentarily when they had felt their brother's death. They turned back to find a hideous creature of fire and light standing in their brother's remains.

The first taste of anger is always the strongest. They all charged at him at once. She could feel the smirk on his face even though she couldn't see it. He held two swords made of brilliant gold energy, and moved so fluidly that she could swear his body was made of pure water.

The Night Children didn't stand a chance. Whenever they stabbed, he cut the weapon. Whenever they swiped at him, he cut off the offending limb. When there was nothing left to cut be the head, he killed them all in one swift motion. Moving his hands, the swords simply vanished into thin air. And, the most vexing part was, he had accomplished all of this without turning around and facing her.

-What is your name?- She asked, wanting to know what he intended to do to her people.

**Perm, I'm hurt. Don't you remember me? I remember you.** His voice sounded familiar, but aged, older, battle-hardened.

-Perhaps your face will remind me.- She said, holding her own sword at the ready. The man simply nodded his head, and she could feel that same smirk emanating from all of his pores. He turned.

At first, she nearly charged, seeing the feathers on his face and arms, but stopped dead when she saw all of his face. She had been right. It was older, battle-hardened, and even had a scar running from hair-line to jaw across the right side of his face.

But it was still him. He smiled kindly at her.

-You!- She said, almost panicked.

**Yes, me. Now, please be kind enough to tell Cologne to let me stay in Japan.** And with that, he dissolved into so many butterflies made of light. They flew past her and straight at the sun.

-That boy.- She said, shaking her head, she headed back to where the village had been.

She had a plant to prune.

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"I don't care if you need him here to _train_, we need him to _fight!_" Cologne hadn't had to raise her voice to anyone for this long in over 75 years. She frankly found shouting like this useless, but she arguing with something that could spit a stream of water that could cut her in two. She was more than a little agitated and annoyed with the creature.

'Saving your village, or saving all of _humanity_. I don't think its that hard of a decision for him to make.' Pan was exasperated. What was it with old humans and doing things the way that worked in a completely different situation? Did they think that by doing something that applied in a vaguely similar situation that they would save themselves again?

"If you kill the root, the vine _withers_."

'Then let us give him the tools _to do so_.'

Ranma was seriously doubting that he would be getting home anytime soon. Anytime he tried to leave the discussion either Cologne or Pan stopped him on his way to the door.

_(Cologne)_

_(PERM?)_ Cologne was shocked. Her cousin hadn't used their telepathic link in _years_. Why was she using it now?

_(Let Ranma stay in Japan.)_ Cologne was even more amazed.

_(How do you even know what's going on here?)_

_(I have my sources and my reasons, which I will share with you now.)_ Perm then proceeds to dump the entire memory of the recent events of her life into Cologne's head. She sees the same scarred face that Perm did and gasped.

_(Its-)_ She started, but her cousin interrupted her.

_(Yes, I know. Hasn't he grown into a fine man? But you musn't tell him a thing about it. It might make him different.)_ Cologne nodded her head to Perm's words.

'-and I'm not getting through to you at all, am I?' the dragon was just now realizing that she hadn't been paying attention. She must have been ranting.

"Alright. I'll give. But, only on the condition that we may stay and help him grow." Pan nodded her head.

'A good thought, but Buta can cover all of his training. He knows the most of what's going on.' Cologne perked an eye at the dragon's comments.

"A boar knows more than me?" Cologne asked, scandalized. Pan nodded, and then just drifted off, leaving the tone on the last comment in the air.

"What made you give in so easy, Baba?" Ranma spoke up finally, after about a half-hour of silence. She smiled at his nickname. In another life, it might have been irritating, but she found that Ranma used insults and endearments, and of all things _silence_ as an insult. He was counter-intuitive to most people, but she and the girls had figured him out.

"A fateful conversation with my cousin."

"Really? What was her name? Perf? Puff? Plumb…" Ranma began to ramble, so Cologne decided to end it during his thought.

"Her name, in your tongue, is Perm. And she seemed to know a lot of what is going on over here." Ranma shook his head, especially at Cologne's exasperated look.

"I'm as in the dark about whatever's going on as you are." Cologne nodded, and then turned pensive.

_A boar knows more than even I. Mischief indeed._

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When Pan and Ranma got home, they were immediately assaulted. Of course, they weren't hit over the head with a vase or table. Nor had they been hit with lots of cold water. Only one person was capable of assaulting their senses like this.

Kasumi had made dinner. And Ranma and Pan were both hungry.

"Think they started without us?" Ranma asked the floating spirit.

'They better not have!!' Pan flew into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Ranma felt a gaze level on him. He turned and Ranko was there, not-glaring at him.

"What I do this time?" Ranko, however, strode over to him, stared him in the eye, and said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"We need to talk. NOW. Move your butt into your room." Ranma stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. Ranko was annoyed by this.

"NOW!"

Kasumi was happily cooking a meal for her new guests and family. She liked the simple pleasure of cooking, but wished she could cook for someone special, instead of all of these people who just walked on by.

'Oh, goodie, you haven't started eating yet.' Pan was a delightful conversationalist. Kasumi found her presence relaxing. Pan gave her a strange look.

'So, who's the boy?' Kasumi was glad she had control over the knife in her hand. It would have been very painful if she had accidentally cut herself with it. Akane and Soun would never let her near another knife again.

"There is no boy" Kasumi responded, a little depressed.

'You're not blushing, and you're sad. You're not just simply in denial.' Pan stated, almost like she had seen this before. Kasumi looked at the girl dragon with an inquisitive look. Pan began explaining.

'Not every Spring at Jusenkyou is cursed. A lot of the girls in the Amazon village figured this out, and even figured out which springs weren't cursed. They usually took long hot baths there, letting their trouble relax away. A few of the more perceptive one even spoke me when I was a ghost.

'Sad thing is, many of the troubles were boy troubles. The boys that they wanted weren't good enough to beat them in combat. Amazon law dictates that if a woman was found intentionally losing, she is immediately separated from her husband, and not allowed to see him again for 15 years. None of the boys even seemed willing to hurt them.

'I listened to this, day after day, year after year, until I finally figured out how to talk to those who couldn't perceive me. I told them to just simply go to the boy they wanted and start a relationship. They didn't need to get married right away. There must have been another way to get married other than the Kiss of marriage. And I convinced most of them to do just that – take action.

'But there were a few who came crying because what they liked to do not only scared the boys away, but made them victims to those men who actually had some martial prowess, but were cruel. They didn't like any of the boys, and the ones who showed interest in them only wanted to harm them.

'So I put another suggestion into their heads. You're a medicine woman, hex him. Make him lose. Make him strong, and make him marry someone you know they'd hate. Make him suffer for trying to subdue you in the most cruel way possible. And they did, and this power attracted some boys and drove others away.

'But you, Kasumi, you fall into the most rare of all the categories. A girl who likes boys, but can't seem to find them. Many of the girls before you simply hid away in dark corners of the world and never say any boys. Others actively avoided them, and were in turn avoided. So I told all of them don't be afraid to go looking for a boy that you might like. You'll probably screw up badly, but tomorrow is another day and you'll just have to get past it then.' Kasumi had stopped cooking, and turned the stove down enough to where everything would stay warm, but nothing would boil over.

"Why are you telling me all this, Pan?" She asked truly puzzled.

'Because I'm a dragon, and I go after what I want. But I also have compassion – I want to see those who deserve it get what they want, too. And in my eyes, you are most deserving.' Pan smiled and nuzzled Kasumi's shoulder, a signal for "PET ME!!"

"How should I start, oh mighty dragon?" Kasumi had taken a liking to this girl, and she now knew she was right in doing so. Pan smirked at her comment.

'Go raid Nabiki's closet. She has some very … nice dresses that with a little seam work in certain places would be very …. flattering to you.' Kasumi peaked an eyebrow.

"What were you doing in Nabiki's closet?"

'She mistook me for one of her feather boas and threw me in there. Ranko found me in there a good three hours later.' Kasumi smiled, and decided to leave the young dragon's dignity in the scraps it was still in.

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Ranma was nervous. Really nervous. He had never really learned how to read adolescent girls, Ranko in particular. Her motives were never clear. Ranko's not-glare dropped after about a minute or two of silence. She sighed, and started talking.

"Kuma explained something to me. Something I've tried my hardest to blame you for since I regained a corporeal form. I wanted to believe you were forcing something on me, but this new info changes … a lot of things." Ranko finished, a little hesitant. Ranma shifted in his chair. What could be so uncomforting that she paused like that? If she had been one of the Amazons, he would have moved to embrace her, but she wasn't, so he didn't.

"Jusenkyou made me a bit different from the other spirits. I talk with my voice, like you do. I walk on the ground and leave tracks, like you do. I'm really alive like you are, instead of just simply a solid ghost." She paused before whispering.

"I can die like you." Ranma's eyes widened at this. She was _vulnerable_. If hadn't been here, he would have laughed.

"Kuma told me that I can make myself stronger, but it means giving into a plan that isn't of my own making. Jusenkyou felt sorrow from you entering its pools, and moved to help one as saddened as itself.

"It made me _for_ you. And I can draw from your strength. But it means living like you did, so I will use your power like you will." Ranma back away from her quickly. No one else should have to experience what he had. Not someone who was proving to be as vulnerable as Ranko was.

"At first, my inner sense of self rebelled at letting someone control what I was. I was alive, I should get to make those choices. But, the more I've thought and talked to Buta and Kuma about it, it seems that this is the better idea. I'm weak without you. I tire easily when you simply leave. I weaken far too fast to be of any use in the future to come." Ranko paused again, as if steeling herself for something really huge.

"One ghost, especially one as selfish as me, should not dictate what happens to the world. Jusenkyou herself might be the only one smart enough to do that. Not It, not him, just HER. I'm angry at myself for not realizing that. And I tried to take it out on you, but couldn't." Ranma was stunned. He didn't _want_ her to become like him. He liked the idea of her as a person rather than a copy of him.

"I won't change too much. I'll just be more like you." It was though she could read his mind.

"Kuma told me one more thing." Ranma looked at her intently, prompting her to continue.

"He told me that while I'm weak now, if I _don't_ do this now, you'll be the weaker for it later." Ranma looked confused, but had little time for it, and Ranko rapidly approached him, a playful smile on her lips.

"Now, hit me with the worst of it, OK?"

And the memories of Ranma's life hit her, straight on, without relenting until they were all in her head. Ranma felt a little of the burden from those memories go away. But like so much of his time today, it was interrupted by something standing in the doorway.

Glowering at him. Akane thought he was being a pervert, and no force in heaven or hell could stop her "righteous" fury.

A.N. It would behoove you to re-read the earlier chapters. I made enough changes that you'll actually be able to make more sense of this chapter if you read them first. I want guesses as to who Perm's savior is, if you so don't mind. Review, as always, are welcome.


	6. Revelations

A.N. First new chapter with review answers (See bottom of chapter)!! Alright, I haven't seen any guesses so far as to Perm's mysterious savior, but rest assured, it is someone you know. I know events later on in this chapter will conflict with things I've already said, but I'll resolve it. My plan is unstoppable!! Iku zo!!

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

**Pheonix Talk** (Only Children of the spring, little kids, and people who truly believe in Ranma can understand this)

-Chinese-

_Thoughts or Emphasis_

_(Telepathic Communication)_

(Panda Signs or Sign Language)

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Children of the Springs

Fifth Chapter – Revelations

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Ranko looked up to see a glowering figure in the doorway. Akane was standing there, her aura in full bloom, and she hoped to Jusenkyou that the girl was looking out the window. But she knew that that had a feeble chance of actually being true. Ranko instantly knew what she had to do. However, her body wasn't co-operating, and she was having a hard time even trying to stand up.

Ranko stopped squirming for a moment because she knew the image she was probably sending Akane was not one that would insure Ranma's health. Akane fumed for a few moments longer before letting out her traditional warcry.

"_**PERVERT!!!!!!**_" Akane then started what surely seemed to her a slow but warranted march into the room. Why she was going so slow was up for debate, but Ranko didn't care. Akane was jumping to conclusions – something she herself readily identified with.

"no … please …" Ranko wasn't surprised to find her own voice wasn't much more than a whisper. She could barely move and barely talk. Looks like Kuma's assumption about utter exhaustion was right.

Akane saw her opportunity to bash her target when Ranko flopped off his lap. Akane quickly sped up her pace and took her mallet to drive home her 'point.' Ranma was just stunned into place by Akane's shout. Who told her where they were, and what they thought that they were doing? Ranma couldn't figure it out and was immobilized by the thoughts.

Akane's mallet was in the loaded into the baseball pre-swing and was going to the follow-through very quickly. Ranko wanted to do something, but felt that she couldn't.

_DEFEND._ Ranko heard the command in the back of her mind, like an instinct. Ignoring her exhausted body's complaints, she threw her self up and into the path of the mallet swing. She earned herself, through this action, several bruised ribs and a free trip right into the wall. The meaty thud she made was enough to snap Ranma out of his reverie.

Akane was so enraged with Ranma that the only thing she registered was the fact that she had not hit her intended target, so she swung again. Ranma deftly rolled beneath the second swing, and made it over to Ranko. He quickly tried to assess the damage that had been done to the girl.

_PROTECT._ The same voice that Ranko had heard in the back of her head now spoke to Ranma. He didn't think to question it because it agreed with his internal morals to do as it asked anyways. But the voice also echoed in the back of his mind, and seemed to liquefy and flow through his veins.

He felt a power he'd never experienced in his life. This was way more different than the Ki he felt in his body or even the Chi he felt emanating from the Earth itself. This was something much more primal, raw, and potent. He gathered the power in his palm.

He raised his hands and pointed them at Akane. After what seemed an eternity to Ranma, a storm of white, fluttering energy flowed from his hands. The energy had formed itself into, of all things, butterflies. The storm didn't seem to have much inertia behind it, but it was able to lift Akane up off the ground and pin her to the wall.

Akane panicked. What was this perverted creep doing to her? What was he about to do to her? She opened her mouth to scream, and almost succeeded, but the butterflies simply flowed up and into her mouth, muffling her violent scream into nothing more than a whisper.

Still acting on instinct, Ranma moved to temporarily end this conflict. He went to speak, but only those listening would hear a voice that wasn't really Ranma's.

**Sleep.** And with that Akane slumped against the wall, and the butterflies evaporated, lingering as a mist for a few moments before disappearing completely. Ranma then looked himself over and quietly asked himself,

"What the hell is going on?"

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Perm put the last piece of kindling down, and ordered the torches down. The herbs that they had placed down, along with some 'borrowed' kerosene, sent the large plant up in flames fast. They knew they'd be attracting attention from unwanted sources, but it was a price they were willing to pay if it meant getting rid of that infernal plant. There was an unnatural still that surrounded it, and one that made the elders nearby especially nervous and jumpy.

Several hours later, the plant was still burning, but it was only a fraction of its original immense size. Perm looked up it in wonder, and decided right then and there to ask a question to the only person she trusted to answer it.

_(Cologne?)_ This would definitely get Cologne's attention. She didn't do this very often, so it was usually in both their interests when one decided to speak across it.

_(Twice in the same week? Perm, are you losing confidence in yourself?)_

_(More like making sure I've not gone crazy by coming to this conclusion.)_ Perm took a moment to compose herself and ask this question as fast as possible.

_(Would it be right to leave the village? Those who aren't dead have little to go back to, and it's not as if the Musk or the Phoenix people will be particularly interested in coming here if we _aren't_ there.)_ Cologne nodded her head in approval of the thought.

_(Gather a minimal compliment, maybe six or seven people, and come join me here in Japan. Send the rest of the village several dozen miles away to set up a temporary village until we're sure that thing won't be cropping up in the same place again.)_ Perm took her cousin's words to heart, and set about following the instructions laid out by her superior elder. She felt reassured that 200 years on this planet hadn't addled her brain more than the day she was born.

Perm stood up to her full height and began the selection process. She'd take six or seven warriors, and maybe one lorekeeper, and then be on her way.

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The darkness recoiled as though it had been burned. He was puzzled at the new savior of those close to Her. It decided to take a step back. If it had one good quality about it, it was it's ability to take defeat.

"The Night Children are not enough." A thought occurred to It.

"I shall make Warriors, not Children. I shall create whole castes to fill the void humanity will leave. And none of them shall disobey me. None. Humanity will be wiped away from the Earth." It set about carving the same substance he had created the Night Children out of. The Night children were small in stature compared to the new beasts he was constructing. They were at least twice as tall as Night Children, and as big around as three. They had an ogre like body, thick arms and legs, but not so thick that they would hinder movement. Their bodies were smooth, not like the leather of the Night Children, but like shining steel, hard and reflective. He gave them a large, thick tail that tapered only slightly on the way down. It was as long as a Night Child was tall, and barely swept the floor.

The creatures had four arms, one of which didn't end in a prehensile hand, but an elongated tusk. It was so long, it was almost as if It had turned one of their arms into a lance. Their heads were shaped almost like a hammer with a sharpened head. The jaw flapped open, and the lower jaw spread wide to almost twice it's original width. The entire maw gleamed like silver, and a hundred razor teeth glinted barely in the darkness.

It willed its arm open, no cut needed, and out poured swords of immense size. They could easily be called claymores except for the wicked curve they had to their shape. It paused for a moment before adding the final touch to the head, a single, jagged horn emerged from the creature's forehead. As soon as the horn was done growing, the creature's eyes opened, a terrifying red-pearl color. The only thing that It heard was the cry of a newborn child, but to any mortal who would have been listening, the cry would have made even hardened Marines turn tail and flee.

"I call you Shadow Lance. Night Children, make more like him." It turned its back to its growing family. Instantly, the Night Children were upon the Darkness like it were food for starving men. One Shadow Lance after another came forth from the seemingly never ending source of the Darkness. When the Night Children felt their progenitor tell them to stop, they did. There were now one hundred Shadow Lances standing in the infinite space, all standing in neat rows like soldiers. It nodded, and moved to create again.

It was so busy creating the race of Shadows, that it, at least for a while, lost sight of Its goal of wiping humanity off the face of what it thought was It's planet.

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Ranma quickly took Akane back to her room. He hoped no one saw him go in or out of the girl's room. He didn't need to give that violent girl a reason to hit him or anyone else nearby. He quickly retreated after he saw her safely to her own room.

Ranma pulled out his futon, and had gently laid Ranko on it. She didn't seem to be injured, but that was probably only because she was unconscious. Ranma stared at the girl for a very long time.

Why had she so willingly accepted the memories? _He _didn't want them, and most people in that situation didn't want to share memories with other people for fear of harming them, or at very least the relationship that they had with that person. Ranko had said something about talking to Kuma before all this madness began, so after making sure that Ai and Nami would actually stay with the injured girl, he got up and went looking for the bear.

After he descended the stairs, he wearily eyed the scene before him. Most of the other people in the house had gathered themselves around a re-oriented TV. He realized that the new orientation was to allow Buta to see the TV too. He quickly saw that the spirit he needed to talk to was the only one who _wasn't_ watching television. He moved outside, confused as to why they would want to watch a few dozen people intermingle in completely normal situations was beyond him.

Kuma, he found, was tending to the garden of Tomatoes with his claws. He saw speed that rivaled his Kachuu Tenshin Amiguriken, and after he stopped, a good portion of the weeds in the square of dirt was gone.

"Why did you send Ranko up to see me." Kuma seemed only to pay him little attention.

'She's a key.' He stated, as if looking for something he'd dropped in the little garden patch. Ranma's interest heightened at hearing that.

"Key for what?" Ranma was surprised when the bear turned on him, and seemed surprised. It was almost as if he'd just realized he was there.

'A key to unlock what Jusenkyou gave to you.' Kuma move to sit on the edge of the Koi pond. The fish didn't even flinch as the ¾ ton bear just sat down and shook the ground near the pond. Ranma joined him.

'Jusenkyou picked you because she knew she was running out of time, and you were the one she wanted. She lured your father in so that he would bring you to her. She can sense sadness and loss, mother Jusenkyou can. To those who are happy, angry, or neutral, she interjects chaos into their lives to see what happens. She sympathizes with those who are suffering, inside or out." Kuma took a deep breathe, and exhaled. Ranma watched the bear for a moment, as the furry critter composed it's next words.

'I don't know everything about what mother Jusenkyou intends for Ranko, but I know this.' Kuma leaned in to Ranma's ear, and in a very soft voice told him,

'The original prophecy didn't call for a girl, or a pheonix. Jusenkyou's children were supposed beat It without any help from humanity. But it goes to show what mother Jusenkyou does when she gets an idea in her head.' Kuma smiled as best a bear could.

'But back to your question. Why did I send Ranko to you? I hate suffering as much as mother Jusenkyou, and that's a strong hatred. I wanted her to get over this hurdle that she kept simply running into. She's bound to you Ranma, and when she's suffering, you'll be suffering, too. Jusenkyou wanted to ease that suffering, but Ranko's spirit didn't get fully informed on what was going on, and she got scared. I filled her in on the parts she needed to know to get over that fear.' Kuma stopped, finished answering Ranma's question, and seeing if the boy needed further clarification.

"Bound to me? Like with rope or something?" Ranma wrinkled his nose at the thought. Akane thought he was a pervert for doing nothing. Imagine how she'd take that news! When Ranma heard Kuma laughing, he turned to the bear.

'Yes, something like a rope. But not one you can see with your eyes, or hold with your hands. She is bound to you in a much deeper sense. She was _made_ Ranma-' Kuma stopped for a moment, obviously not liking something he'd just said.

'No, she wasn't made, she was … _reshaped_.' Liking that word better, Kuma continued.

'She was _reshaped_ into something _for_ you Ranma. She's got her own free will, that's for certain, but she will not separate herself from you if she can help it. Just like Buta, Pan, Nami, Ai, and I are all bound to mother Jusenkyou, Ranko is bound to you. She will not go back after all this is over.' Kuma smiled.

'But enough of depressing topics. I've got the chance, so I'm going to teach you something about the enemy. Follow me.' Ranma followed the bear over to the tomato patch.

'Ranko doing what I told her to do should have awoken the other gift Jusenkyou gave you. Put your hand on this plant.' Ranma did as instructed, but almost instantly recoiled his hand.

"It's _HOT_!!" He exclaimed. Kuma shook his head.

'It's not hot, it's _alive_. It has a feel about it, something intangible, but something you can feel, right?' Ranma nodded, moving his hand back towards the fledgling tomatoes. They felt very warm, almost like a nice hot meal. If felt … comforting.

"What is this? What am I feeling?"

'It's similar in concept to Ki. Similar in concept, very different in execution. Jusenkyou couldn't give us a word for what it is, so I'll just try to repaint her image.' Kuma looked right at Ranma, and instantly the boy froze. Kuma forced and image and feeling from his head into the boy's, and Ranma instantly went limp.

An electric sensation ran up and down his body, smoke left his lips, and he felt enveloped by a great, big comforting hug all at the same time. Butterflies from his stomach quickly came up his throat and out his mouth and nose, mixing and melding with the smoke. And then it all stopped.

He suddenly was plunged into an icy cold sensation, like jumping in a cold pool, without moving. He shivered and his teeth chattered. Kuma decided to break eye contact.

"What the HELL?!?! _THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN __**EXPLANATION**_?!?!" Kuma laughed.

'Pan said the same thing. I think the only word that fits here is Entropy.' Ranma cocked his head at the new word.

"Entropy." Ranma mimicked, testing the word on his tongue. He found that he liked the way it sat, and looked directly at Kuma.

"What's it mean?" Ranma asked.

'Entropy is the force of Chaos. Think of Chaos as water and Entropy as the River and the place it's flowing to.' Kuma explained. Ranma nodded, that making more sense than just about anything else that had happened to him recently.

"What do I do with it?" Kuma smiled

'You learn to use it in as many ways as possible. You can now influence what's going on around you. Need to cross a chasm you can't jump over? Think about getting on the other side, and in no time the energy will fly you across. Purpose is what's required, whether it's extinguishing a fire, lifting something off of someone-'

"Protect." Ranma said quietly. Kuma looked at him sharply.

'What's you say?' Kuma asked intently.

"Protect." Ranma said, to where the bear would have no trouble hearing him. Kuma looked at him.

'Yes, I supposed that's a way you could word it. Why did you choose that way?' Kuma asked, looking at the now abashed Ranma.

"At the end of whatever it was that you had Ranko do, she collapsed onto the ground, and I was sorta clueless on what to do there." Ranma started.

'She was supposed to be completely exhausted afterwards. She must not have told you. That doesn't explain-' Ranma shook his head, showing he wasn't done.

"Not a second after she collapses, Akane storms into the room and yells 'pervert' at the top of her lungs. She then tries to attack me, but Ranko threw herself in the way. I felt the strongest urge to protect her, so I did. These funny … butterfly things came out of my hands and pinned her to the wall and made her go to sleep." Kuma was staring very intently at Ranma now.

'Jusenkyou chose well if you can manipulate things on that level. However, when she wakes up, Violent-chan and I are having a long talk on what constitutes a pervert.' Ranma only nodded, and moved away.

'There was one exercise I was going to have you do before you left.' Kuma said stopping Ranma. He walked back, and knelt beside the bear.

'This plant here-' he pointed at a browning plant.

'Is dying very slowly. We haven't tried anything other than normal fertilizers, but I left it this way on purpose. I want to see if you can access that gift of yours consciously.' Ranma nodded at the idea. It was a good one, to make sure he could do it in something other than a do or die situation.

"I'll try."

'That's all I can ask of you right now.' Ranma put his hand next to the plant and focused all his energy on healing the tomato vine. He knelt there for what seemed like an eternity before he felt the voice in the back of his head go again.

_HEAL._ And suddenly, the plant sprung up, fully healed as if it had never been ill in the first place.

'It seems you can with great effort. Buta can fix that.' Ranma nodded and left the bear in the garden. He went to Kasumi, who was still watching the TV, to ask her a question.

"Kasumi, is there any dinner left?" Kasumi nodded.

"I left enough for you and Ranko to have something to eat. It's on the stove. Turn off the burner when you take the food up with you." Ranma nodded and moved off to the kitchen to take the food up to the girl he knew would be needing food.

Ranma entered the room, Ai and Nami had quickly fallen asleep, leaning on Ranko's good side. The girls knew where it hurt on a person just by looking at them, so they could still attach themselves to the person without hurting them. Ranma woke them up and sent them downstairs to watch the TV with everyone else. Ranko rolled her head over to look at him

"How long have you been awake?" He asked, trying to stay neutral.

"Long enough to know my ribs are bruised." She said, smiling into the abyss he was putting up. It was too familiar.

"I've got some food if you want any." Ranko nodded, and tried to sit up, but failed.

"I can't get up. I'm still exhausted from the Rites." Ranma smirked.

"Is that what that's called? I never would have guessed." Ranma picked up a fork and delicately obtained a piece of beef with it. He moved to Ranko's mouth, who quickly pulled the meat of its precarious perch. Ranma repeated this several times before he accidentally brushed against her skin with the back of his hand on a return pass.

He felt a spark. Not an electrical one in the real sense, but it froze him up very fast. Most people couldn't do that to him. The only other person he could remember ever feeling that way towards was-

No. Don't think about it. I failed her, and I should be happy she even wants me around anymore.

"You didn't fail her." Ranma was startled by Ranko's words.

"What do you … know …" Ranma immediately remembered that she knew _everything_ about him, including his failures. He shrank in on himself.

"When I'm done, I'll go. You don't need a reminder of what I am." Ranma looked up, expecting to see something like pity or loathing in her eyes. But he didn't see anything that remotely resembled either.

The only thing swimming in Ranko's emerald eyes was acceptance.

"Why?" Was the only word that Ranma could muster in his emotional state. Ranko instantly knew what he was talking about.

"I accept you because I _know_ you, Ranma. There is nothing about you that I can hate, although I would change a few opinions here and there." She smiled, and managed to land one of her hands on top of his. He recoiled as if burnt. Ranko decided to nip this problem here and now.

"Candle doesn't hate you, Ranma. You saved her life from the Musk, she's thankful to you." Ranma couldn't accept this and began shaking his head.

"She doesn't try to communicate with me when I'm around and when I try to talk to her she freezes up. Does that sound _thankful_?" Ranko was surprised for a moment at the amount of venom he managed to put on that last word, but moved past it rather quickly.

"It sounds like love." She had dropped the bomb. Ranma could take it anymore, and collapsed on the floor. He developed feelings for Candle while he was in the village. He had always felt calmed by her presence and she always thanked him for being around. She hadn't shown any real interest in her, not that he could see anyways. The mere thought of her returning those dying feelings, even if Ranko was lying to him, was unbearable.

"How… How do you know?" He asked, tears welling at his eyes, his back turned to her, curled up on the floor. He wouldn't accept it, he couldn't! Candle had to hate him, if not for failing her than for ignoring what was obvious to anyone but him.

"She told Pan while she still had her voice. And Pan told me when I needed another bit of humanizing information about 'The Great Ranma Saotome.'" Ranma rolled over to look and see if she wasn't just teasing him. She, of course, wasn't.

"And now for the hard part." Ranko said. Ranko steeled her gaze.

"Here's the thing Ranma. Kuma no doubt has told you that we are bound, me to you. Jusenkyou turned me into someone who could always be there for you. A sister, mother, aunt, distant friend you haven't talked to in a while, whatever you chose. But me being human, and furthermore, a daughter of chaos, I naturally warped her original plan." Ranko looked directly into Ranma's eyes and held the gaze for a moment, as if searching for something.

"The mere companionship she made me feel … has turned into something more." Ranko cursed herself for her own fears. Ranma was suffering because she was dragging this out, and his scared expression didn't fix anything. Ranko closed her eyes and whispered like a mouse.

"I love you." She felt a weight come off her shoulders, but knew it had landed squarely on Ranma's shoulders. How was he supposed to choose between the one he loved and the one who would die without him? She smiled.

"But for Candle's sake, I will wait. You and I have more time than she ever will. She deserves to go first. After all," She had dropped back down to her near unintelligible whisper,

"You love her." Ranma looked at her and knew at once there was only one thing to do to repay her kindness. He oh so gently embraced her and held her to him. She breathed deeply of what he smelled like, what he felt like. She knew that this wouldn't happen often, at least, not any time soon.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou-" Ranma's rambling was rather cute, and she decided that she had made the right choice in letting him go for now. Ranma propped her up using some nearby pillows and blankets. He finished feeding her, and after wolfing his own supper down, moved to leave. He stopped at the door, turned around, and did one thing he never did.

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused you before." Ranko was stunned. He was apologizing to her? But, of course, she probably should have known. He was grateful to her, and wanted to repay her somehow.

"Just stay in one piece. I'll be fine now that I've gone through the rites. Just don't leave Tokyo to elope, OK?" They both smiled, and for the first time in years, Ranma felt genuine happiness.

Buta turned his head up to the room the two were in. As soon as Ranma came back, his lessons would begin.

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This is a small section I'll be adding anytime I come up with a new Shadowling (The race that had the Night Children in it) to give you a more complete description of what they look like and what they can do.

**Night Children** – These were the first creatures created by It in the darkness. They are roughly the same size as a human being. They stand roughly 7' tall, but their hunched posture rarely allows them to be much more than 5'6" to 6' in height. Their arms end in four fingered hands (Including thumbs). Their wings are similar to Lugia's (Yes, I know I'm drawing a reference from Pokemon. BITE ME), but can't extend past their normal reach forward. They are capable of manipulating objects, albeit roughly, with the wings. Their feet are more like an eagle's than like any primates, including razorsharp talons. Though they're somewhat gaunt, they are incredibly strong, able to pick up two or three humans and still fly at maximum speed. While their eyes are barely visible during the day, at night they smolder like embers in a fire. They wield tridents into combat, as well as using their flight capabilities to make fly-by pick up and drop attacks. As with all Shadowlings, they are made from darkness, so normal weapons such as steel swords and flint arrows won't harm them.

**Shadow Lances** – These gargantuan warriors serve as the heavy hitters of the Shadowlings. Twice as tall as any Night Child and nearly three times the height of the average human, they are an erect 15' tall and have skin, unlike the most other Shadowlings, that is steely hard and resists both energy and entropic weapons, though the skin weathers when hit repeatedly by these kinds of weapons. They have four incredibly muscular arms, all of which are individually able to lift up a car. The lower right arm is permanently shaped into a 9' lance that it brandishes with an equal amount of proficiency that it wield the three swords it carries with it. They are capable and competent climbers, using their three handed arms, feet and even spiked tail to scale surfaces quickly. Their legs are just as powerful as their arms, allowing them to jump incredible distances, and launch them into the air almost as if flying. Their mouths are lined with a silvery substance that has a high friction constant and grips to just about anything that the Lance can get its mouth around.

A.N. I almost started crying as I was writing the end of the last scene. I hope most of you made it through in one or two tries. I don't mean to have such overbearing scenes, but for the sake of the plot, I'll do whatever it takes -Strikes a Triumphant pose, crying.-

Enough of that. I'll be posting up the Teaser of Chapter Six sometime soon, so look for that on my profile. And now…. Review Answers!!

Stick-Man Smith: I agree with you. I've now gone back and retooled Ranko to where she fits my original grand design better. If you're still reading these fictions, I hope you like it.

Tama Saga: I forgot if the true number is 16 million or 256 million. Its some number like 264 or 2128. It's a really big number. I like getting my facts straight, so thank you for _gently_ pointing that out.

Rob – You were probably just trying to read the fic while was in the middle of uploading a formatting change. Where I have zeroes in the text now, I had asterisk, but story reader didn't pick up on those.

Chaos Rune: Since you're the first person I've seen that even seems to read the A.N. (one person asked if the story was Ranma/Nabiki when I'd stated in four or five places that it's Ranma/Ranko), I'll just go ahead and say that your guess is as good as any and see what the others have to suggest. Who knows, maybe it's not:3

Hello to keichan2, Dragon Man 180, Aah-Chaa, ranko lina Inverse and all the others who have reviewed since the last time I updated in 2005. Ja Ne!!


	7. Speaker for the Dead

A.N. Positivity so far!! YAY!!! Right, this chapter is going to (hopefully) be less dramatically sad and more warm and cuddly fuzzy. With the exception of the stern talking-to Akane's going to be on the receiving end of. Iku zo!!

'Spirits Talking'

"Japanese"

**Pheonix Talk** (Only Children of the spring, little kids, and people who truly believe in Ranma can understand this)

-Chinese-

_Thoughts or Emphasis_

_(Telepathic Communication)_

(Panda Signs or Sign Language)

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Children of the Springs

Sixth Chapter – Speaker for the Dead

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As he watched Ranma leave the compound, Kuma sighed as best a bear could and walked inside. He couldn't understand the Children's fascination with the TV. It was just an image from another place … Mother Jusenkyou did stuff like that all the time, why was this special? He shook his head and lumbered up the stairs to Akane's room.

He sat down in a chair. Ranma had used Entropy to put the girl to sleep, so there was no telling when she'd wake up. It could be in a few minutes or a few days, there was just no way of being sure.

Kuma sat in the chair and stared at the girl. He waited for about an hour, and then she began to stir.

'So, the violent one awakes, does she?' Kuma said, mirth eeking out around his voice. Akane squeaked when she saw the large bear not five feet away from her.

"What are you doing in _my room_?" She demanded panickedly. Kuma's face lost whatever smiling light it had.

'I've come to talk to you about your blasted temper. You nearly _killed_ Ranko with your stupid raging while she was doing something _important_.' Akane looked indignant.

"I didn't hurt Ranko! I was trying to punish Ranma for being a _pervert_." Kuma leaned over to her, and in a low, growling voice said,

'You hurt Ranko in trying to get to Ranma. She's got several bruised ribs and it's only her _bond_ with Ranma that's healing them at a fast enough rate to make sure she doesn't _fade out_ from the injuries you gave her.' Akane had no response to this. At least one that wouldn't make the bear want to hurt her. She meekly nodded. Kuma moved off only slightly.

'I am going to define a pervert. You are going to listen, or you won't leave this room. I will repeat this as many times as necessary and in any way to get you to listen. It is in your own interest that you listen to me and take to heart what I say the first time.

'A _pervert_ is a person who makes inappropriate sexual advances toward you. They _act_ on instincts that everyone has, but most people keep in check for the explicit purpose of _interacting_ with other humans. Ranma has not, and to my knowledge of his personality, will _never_ do _anything_ perverse to you of his own accord.' Akane protested.

"But he's a _boy_. They _all_ act on their perversions." Kuma was going to have none of this. He was instantly nose to nose with Akane.

'I will talk. _You_ will _listen_ and understand what I'm _saying_.' Once again scared into a place where she might actually hear what Kuma was going to say.

'I've heard for centuries that men were the weaker, less capable, dominated gender. I lived right next to the amazons, albeit as a ghost, but still capable of hearing their drivel. They were horribly punished for showing any kind of perverse action towards women there. But that rarely ever happened. I saw altogether too many a time when a _woman_ made perverse advances on a _man_. Testes grabbing, ass slapping, even dragging them off for…' Kuma smiled, all his fangs shining even in the low light of the room.

'Well, you know.' Akane looked like she knew all too well what he was talking about.

'Ranma never once was harassed by a woman, nor was he ever punished for making perverse actions towards a woman.' Kuma backed off and smiled at the memory.

'I think Ranma is the only outsider male of his age to be able to walk amongst the Amazons and not have any kind of reaction to them other than treating them like every other human being he's ever met. At least, the ones who were decent to him.'

'So tell me Akane, why do you lash out at Ranma for something he isn't? And if you think you've seen him being a pervert, I'm almost certain that every time I can shoot down your argument.' Akane looked up at the bear and had a bit of fear on her face.

"Anytime he's in his cursed form, he's always latched onto one of my sisters!" Kuma looked at her like she'd grown a second head.

'They both tackle _him_. They initiate it. Kasumi is kind enough to recognize that it makes him uncomfortable and has stopped. Nabiki is teasing him. He never initiated the action. Period.' Akane looked at _him_ like _he'd_ grown a second head.

"But girls don't do that!" She insisted. Kuma looked at her intently. He was no longer angry with her. Rather, he was curious as to why Akane was so adamant to keep Ranma as a pervert when all the facts pointed to him not being one.

'Any other reason why he's a pervert?' Kuma looked at her intently.

"He doesn't wear a shirt all the time?" She offered up, weakly. Kuma shook his head.

'If you won't tell me the real reason why, I'll just find out.' Kuma took one of his large paws and put it on Akane's forehead. Akane's body was instantly tranquil, save for her mouth.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME_?!?!" She screamed. Kuma was suddenly glad that everyone was absorbed with the TV. They wouldn't have heard her scream.

'Taking a walk down memory lane.' Akane went totally silent and seemed to slip back into sleep.

**Mind Realm.**

**Kuma found himself at the entrance of a hedge maze. He noticed that the very far end of the hedge maze was up against some kind of wall that just went right up and through the sky.**

_**Alright. This must be the current time in her life.**_** Kuma stepped into the maze, and instantly a chibi version of Akane stepped out.**

"**NO!" The small child exclaimed.**

'**No, what, child?' Kuma asked her. She shook her head.**

"**NO COME IN!!" Ah, this was her mental defense. At least, the first one.**

'**I am only here to help you, child. I do not want to harm you.' Chibi-Akane looked at him like he'd said something stupid.**

"**ANYONE WHO COME HERE IS BAD!! NO LET IN!!" Kuma thought about this for a moment. The child would become something he couldn't handle if he tried to force his way into Akane's mind. Kuma smiled, and raised one of his glowing palms.**

'**If you come with me, you can make sure I do nothing bad, OK?' Kuma smiled down at the child benignly. She looked hesitant.**

"**NO BAD?" She asked, her voice still reverberating all around him, but no longer shouting.**

'**No bad.' He confirmed. Chibi Akane came over to him and held her arms out like she wanted to be picked up. Kuma put her on his shoulders.**

"**WHY YOU HERE?" Chibi-Akane asked Kuma, as he began looking through the maze one inch at a time. Anything other than leaves would be an important detail, best not forgotten.**

'**I'm here to see why you don't like Ranma.' Chibi-Akane looked at him funny.**

"**RANMA? THE LOOK-ALIKE PERVERT?" Kuma stopped and looked at her.**

'**Look-alike? What do you mean?' Kuma didn't stop. If the problem was what he thought it was, he had quite a bit of walking to do to go back one or two years into her memory.**

"**YES. LOOK LIKE KENSUKE!" She chirped very happily. Kuma had an idea.**

'**Can I meet Kensuke?' Chibi-Akane frowned, at looked down at the bear.**

"**WHAT FOR?" Kuma knew he needed to word this carefully, so he paused for a moment to make sure he said this right.**

'**Your big self is hurting people. Unintentionally, perhaps, but I still want to know why. I think meeting Kensuke would help me get answers. Chibi-Akane looked at him.**

"**YOU LEAVE WHEN YOU GET ANSWER?" Kuma nodded.**

"**THEN I TAKE TO KENSUKE." They were instantly in the air and flying at a relatively quick pace. He looked down and saw the meeting between the Tendous and the Saotomes. They flew past it pretty quickly. After a few more minutes of this, they set down.**

**Kuma looked about, he saw that he was in some sort of medical room. He turned around, and saw a younger Akane standing at the door. She wasn't much younger than she was now, maybe a year or two at most. She was looking right at him.**

_**No. Through me.**_** Kuma realized. He turned around.**

**Lying there on the bed was the spitting image of Ranma. Kuma looked closely at the boy. He had a number of wires attached to him, hooked up to all kinds of machinery that was nearby.**

_**He's ill, perhaps terminally. He doesn't look injured.**_** Kuma got up close to the memory boy and stared directly at him. His eyes were a blue-green that closely resembled Ranma's blue-grey eyes. His hair was different texture, a bit more wiry, but still pulled back into that familiar pigtail. He smiled in the same manner that Ranma did.**

**Ranma would have thought he was looking into a mirror had he met this boy.**

**Akane moved over to the boy, and took his hand. There was an exchange of words between them, Akane obviously didn't remember them. Kensuke smiled at her kindly, and put a hand on her cheek. He said something, but the entire room began shaking with the words that Kensuke had said.**

**Hell, the boy even **_**sounded**_** like Ranma.**

"**HEY, TOMBOY, DON'T CRY. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU CRY. I NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME." Akane nodded her head furiously, before saying a single word.**

"**ANYTHING."**

"**BE STRONG, TOMBOY. BE STRONG WITHOUT ME. AND DON'T LET ME HOLD YOU BACK." Kuma put his paws over his ears as a deafening screech came from one of the machines. He was getting a feeling from the memory that this sound meant his heart had stopped. Kensuke was dead.**

**Abruptly the memory stopped, and he was standing in a little clearing, Chibi-Akane standing in front of him.**

"**YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED?" She asked. Kuma nodded.**

'**I will go now.' Chibi-Akane nodded and wandered back into the maze. Kuma let himself fall back into his own body**

'I see.' Akane looked at him fearfully.

"What did you do to me?!" She snapped, eyes and voice betraying her volume for fear. Kuma put a paw on her shoulder and she flinched.

'I went looking into your mind for the true reason that you dislike Ranma so. He reminds you too much of Kensuke, doesn't he?' Akane's eyes went wide at that.

"How did … Why do …" She began to babble endlessly, and Kuma grabbed her and turned her to face him.

'Ranma is not, nor will he ever if he learns of him, try to take the place of Kensuke. It is an unfair coincidence that the two of them are so very much alike. And I have an interpretation of his last words to you.' Akane looked at him, tears leaking down her face.

'He wanted you to grow without him being there. When he told you to be strong without him, he wanted you to move on. He did not want you to dwell on his death like this, or let his memory hold you down as it has.' Akane cringed as the bear's words struck home. Kuma saw that she needed comfort and gathered the crying girl into his arms.

'He wanted you to go on and live a full life for him. So please, for your sake, his sake, and Ranma's sake, please stop harming yourself, Ranma, and those around you.' Akane tried to nod, but the bear's shoulder got in her way. Kuma let her cry herself back to sleep. Once he had tucked her safely back into bed, he walked back downstairs.

_It will be alright, Violent-chan. I will help you, but only if you let me._

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Ranma came upon the warehouse the Amazons were staying in. It was already fairly dark, but Ranma knew that not all of the girls would be asleep. He was certain of that. Cologne had taken first watch, and now he had to sit with the Umisenken activated so that she wouldn't count him as a human, but one of the creatures that scurried about in the night.

Ranma waited until Cologne had switched off with Candle for watch duty, Ranma moved in. He hoped to anyone in heaven who was listening that Ranko was right when she talked about Candle. He didn't want to make a fool of himself.

Somewhere in the heavens, a deeply-tanned girl sneezed, wondering what could cause her to do that in paradise.

He slowly moved in. He couldn't speak up or try and reveal his head. Cologne would instantly know he was there. He looked about for some way to contact Candle. When he saw the small chalkboard and a few pieces of chalk not five meters from the girl. He picked up a piece of chalk and quickly wrote on the board.

(Candle! I'm Here!) He wrote hastily. It took Candle a few minutes to look up and see Ranma's message. She picked up her own piece of chalk and erased the message. She then quickly wrote.

(Who's me?) Ranma nearly facefaulted. He'd forgotten she couldn't see him. He erased her message and wrote down one of his own.

(Ranma!) Candle felt her breath hitch. She could only see the words being scrawled on the board, but not whatever it was that was doing it. She had seen Ranma fade from existence before, and knew that this could only be him.

(Why are you here?) She wrote down.

(And why are you being invisible?) Ranma erased her questions, and quickly wrote down something.

(Someone told me something I need to ask you. Cologne would be on us in a heartbeat if the elder thought that I was here.) Candle nodded, her red-pink hair bouncing slightly. Cologne would no doubt interfere with whatever it was that Ranma had planned, simply because she wanted Ranma in the Amazon bloodline. There was going to be no stopping her in that cause.

(What do you need to ask me?) She wrote down. Ranma hesitated in answering that. Rather than simply writing down an answer he gently took her hand in his. Candle gasped slightly as her hand disappeared into the Umisenken's cloak. He began to gently pull her outside, when she stopped him. She could feel his eyes on her. She picked up the chalkboard and wrote down.

(Cologne will be mad with me if I don't wake someone up for guard duty.) Ranma let go of her hand, and wrote down,

(OK. Just be quiet, alright?). She nodded, and moved to wake Soap up. Soap was the only human she had told just how deeply she was in love with Ranma. Shampoo was fixated on him only because she'd never received the attention of anyone other than Mousse, ancestors give him peace. She'd probably back off once Cologne had tricked him into giving her a child. The other girls liked him because they had a savior-savee sort of relationship, in a different kind of way. He'd saved Wash from the doldrums and Soap from her men-hating shell. He'd brought her back to her sister, and thus saved her from what would have depressed her endlessly. They all had realized that they weren't going to get Ranma anytime soon because none of them had a good bond with him. But Candle hoped that she had developed enough of a bond with him that she was on better ground.

The only reason why she'd told Soap instead of her sister was because Soap had a skill Incense didn't – Soap could keep a secret. She took the chalkboard over to the lore-keeper, and nudged her with it. Soap was instantly awake, and looking about. Candle put her finger on Soap's lips before she said anything, then wrote.

(Ranma wants to talk to me. Can you take watch while I go talk with him?) Soap nodded the instant she saw Ranma's name on the chalkboard. She however, took the chalk from Candle's hand, and wrote down

(If it isn't Ranma, roast them and come back here immediately. He did steal that technique from his father, after all.) Candle nodded, and moved back, thank Soap in sign language for her generosity.

Soap smiled. Ranma was nice, for a boy. He'd made a small hole in the wall she'd built around herself. She entertained the idea of inviting him to one of the sessions she had with Pearl one of these days, if only to make Cologne happy. She smiled, and thought.

_Make Candle happy Ranma. I'll never forgive you if you don't._

No one noticed the smiling body Cologne off to one side of the room.

A few minutes later, Ranma had dropped the Umisenken and had subsequently been glomped by Candle. She was short, even compared to Ranma – she simply didn't have the mass to knock him over like Shampoo did. They walked into a park. The park was quiet, but the summer bugs were mindlessly chirping away. They came across a well lit clearing with a tree nearby.

Ranma sat down, and Candle sat across from him. He looked at Candle with eyes that he hoped were open and inviting, and not the nervousness he felt. Ranma moved to speak, but Candle held up a hand. She quickly took a cleaning rag from her sleeve and wiped the chalkboard clean of any traces of chalk. She then started writing down numerous sigils and symbols in a near perfect circle. She then put her hand on it and with her other hand began signing words at a rate that Ranma had trouble keeping up with the simple shape of her hand. The circle glowed, and Candle motioned for Ranma to put his hand on the glowing circle. Instantly, he felt his very thoughts moving towards Candle. He panicked and tried to keep them in his head, but Candle shook her head. Suddenly, he felt her presence in his mind, and he stopped panicking.

_(So, Ranma. I can talk to you like this. It was something I learned how to do to overcome this when I really need to use words instead of gestures.)_ Ranma nodded, and responded through the link.

_(It is convenient. Who taught you?)_ Candle smiled bashfully, but she confidently replied,

_(Perm. She has a permanent link with Cologne, and most of the other Elders. I know how, but I need the other person's consent in order to do it.)_ Ranma nodded, absorbing this information. He wanted to continue this small talk, but knew that if Ranko was telling him the truth, there'd be time for that later.

_(Ranko told me something, Candle, and I want to know if its true.)_ Candle heard this, and asked him a question.

_(Who's Ranko?)_

_(Ranko is the spirit in the Spring of Drowned Girl.)_ Candle put her hand over her mouth and would have gasped if she still could use her vocal chords. That spirit had been one of her good friends. She'd only told the Spirit of the Spring of Drowned Young Shenlong about Ranma, and the two of them must have talked.

_(What… What do you want to know?)_ She asked, hating the hesitation in her mental voice. Ranma sighed, and leaned back onto his arms, seeming to brace himself.

_(Do you hate me?)_ He asked her, the confidence in his voice not wavering for a second. Candle saw what he was expecting and moved to embrace him.

_(Not a chance in the world, savior.)_ Ranma felt her arms go around him, and moved to intercept her. He moved her to where they were nearly nose to nose.

_(My other question is … Do you …)_ Now it was Ranma's turn to feel ashamed for his hesitation, and Candle caught onto this quickly. She put on her best impish smile, lashed out, and captured his lips with hers.

_(Wo da)_ She said, and Ranma instantly gathered her into his arms, very gently. Candle leaned into his embrace, and felt like a puzzle piece that had just found one of its mates. Ranma felt content that he hadn't felt in … well, recently he'd felt it when he was with Nami and Ai, and recently Ranko, but it was different with Candle. He only remembered feeling like this when he was very young, and he didn't know why.

He felt safe. Ranma and Candle sat underneath the tree, Candle in Ranma's lap, just sitting there trading information mentally, learning as absolutely as much about each other and committing it to memory so they'd never forget.

_(You've got … a friend in this endeavor.)_ Ranma didn't want to call Ranko competition because she wasn't trying to pull Ranma away from Candle and keep her to herself. Candle looked at Ranma upside-down, and asked,

_(What do you mean, friend?)_ Ranma decided to be very truthful.

_(Jusenkyou made Ranko a little different than the other Children of the Spring. I'll tell you about them later. One of them told me that she was completely bonded to me spiritually. Jusenkyou made her different for my sake.)_ Ranma paused in his thoughts.

_(She told me that she was made to be my permanent friend and to help ease my suffering by giving me someone who truly understood everything I'd ever been through. I never wanted to share that suffering with anyone, but Ranko took it upon herself. She said something about being a child of chaos and having warped Jusenkyou's plans for her.)_ Ranma paused again, and turned Candle around so she was facing him.

_(Ranko loves me. But for some reason, she was kind enough to let me go to you. Because she knew that I loved _you Candle smiled and put her hands on the sides of Ranma's face. She pulled herself to him and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

_(Thank you for telling me this Ranma. I know this to mean that you trust me a great deal. I think I want to meet Ranko again.)_ Ranma was relieved. They weren't going to fight. He seen some pretty brutal battles between girls in the village over one boy that they both wanted. Candle smiled mischeviously.

_(Who knows? Maybe we'll get along_ really_ well.)_ Ranma's head was instantly flooded with images from Candle's, apparently very perverted, mind.

He didn't know that a tongue could do _that_. Or that a girl would be willing to do _that._ Or even … Ranma shook his head to clear the images.

_(I'm going to take my revenge now.)_ Ranma said, and moved in to tickle Candle. He almost instantly stopped his assault when she started squirming and smiling, but no laughter came out of her mouth. Ranma instantly withdrew, and Candle looked up at him. She saw him averting his gaze, and she moved to touch his face.

_(What's wrong?)_ Ranma pulled his face out of her hands, and placed two fingers on her throat. He was incredibly gentle with the touch, but there was enough force for Candle to know that he was indicating her voice.

_(I failed you.)_ Even the thought itself was quiet, like he was ashamed he couldn't come to her defense. Candle resituated herself in Ranma's lap to where she was facing his body. Candle grabbed him by the ears and made him look into her eyes.

_(You did _not_ fail me in any fashion. There was no way you could have known that the Musk patrol was going to be broad that day. I was beaten, I was bloodied, I was used, and if you hadn't gotten there when you did, I would have _died_ nine months later, ten at most. You _saved_ me from death. I can't call that failure.)_ Ranma was looking at Candle, not that he had any choice to do otherwise. He nearly drowned in Candle's acceptance of him, for all that he was. An idea suddenly occurred to him. He didn't think, just concentrated on the new gift that Kuma had taught him how to use. He again gently touched her throat, and focused on the idea of fixing her throat.

_HEAL._ Ranma pleaded with the energy, and it began to move. White energy ponderously came out of his fingers, flickering like fire, before quickly moving in to heal the wound. Candle felt pain shoot up and down her spine.

_(RANMA!! STOP!! THAT __**HURTS!!**_ Ranma's concentration broke at the words hurt. He'd failed again, and in fact made it worse. Candle was abruptly dumped out of Ranma's lap as the boy panicked and tried to get away from her.

Candle wasn't angry with Ranma, so much as startled and wondering what Ranma was trying to do.

_(What was that, Ranma?)_ Candle asked, but Ranma couldn't give her a coherent answer. She caught bits and pieces from his rapidly deteriorating thoughts.

_(Can't help … failed again … hurt …Candle pain … reject me …can't fix my mistake)_ Candle wanted to tear her hair out. She went over to the quivering mess of martial artist and roughly yanked him up to a sitting position he wouldn't hold. The tears streaking down his face disfigured the handsome, confident face she wanted back. She had already tried to talk to him, maybe some physical help was required. She raised her hand back to slap some sense into him, but midway through the swing, she stopped.

_Reject me. Ranma thinks that I'll reject him because of whatever just happened._ Candle pulled Ranma back into an embrace and kissed him deeply, almost like she was trying to suck the depression in him out of him. Ranma finally calmed down when he realized she was _kissing him_. Ranma looked deeply ashamed, and turned away from her. Candle was irritated, but at least his thoughts were making sense now.

_(I'll understand if-)_ Candle interrupted him.

_(I'm not going anywhere Ranma until you tell me what you just tried to do.)_ Ranma sighed and turned to face her, head hung. Candle was going to have none of that.

_(Look me in the eye Ranma. I want you to look at me. I am _not_ going to hurt you for that.)_ She knew that finishing that sentence in traditional Amazon style would only _hurt_ the argument rather than _help._ Ranma began aloud.

"I tried to fix it." Candle sent him a stern message brooking no argument.

_(Eyes, Ranma. I want you see your _beautiful eyes Ranma looked up at Candle, slightly amazed.

"I wanted to fix your throat, fix the one thing that I've done wrong by you."

_(But you haven't-)_ Ranma waved his hand.

"It is the way I feel, and there is frankly nothing you can do about it." Ranma looked at her with a ghost of his former confidence. He smiled, and continued.

_(Jusenkyou gave me a gift. I can manipulate Entropy, but its _really_ hard. I can't even do it for long unless severe circumstances are happening. I tried to heal you using the energy, but I just screwed up.)_ Ranma looked away from her. He didn't want loose that last image of Candle trying to be nice to him.

Of course, Candle wasn't going anywhere, just like she'd said. She pressed herself into his back.

_(I think I liked it better when you were Mr. Macho. Now, let me think of was to get you to think like that, hm?)_ Ranma was again assaulted by images, but instead of Ranko coupled with Candle, it was him.

Ooh, that looked fun. And yummy. And it even involved food! Ranma smiled.

_(You've got a perverted mind.)_ Candle smiled.

_(All humans are perverts, excluding children. Most people just think it rather than say it. We don't have that barrier right now.)_ Candle leaned in and grabbed hold of Ranma's ear with her mouth.

_(And frankly, I don't think you could be much of a pervert anyhow.)_ Candle knew that she was challenging him and knew that this usually worked to stoke his ego. However, Ranma wasn't being Ranma-y right then. His breath hitched when she had his ear, but he just looked at her like she was being too kind to him. Ranma remained silent. Candle took this as a bad sign, and back off.

_(I'm sorry. That's what people call you to attack you, isn't it?)_ Ranma nodded, and hugged Candle.

_(I'll be pervert if you want me to be. But only if you're sure that's what you want.)_ Candle bopped him over the head lightly.

_(Not in public, macho. Later.)_ Ranma liked the sound of this idea. Later.

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A.N. **REMINDER TO EVERYONE!!! I AM USING MY PROFILE TO GIVE TEASERS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER AS WELL AS FULL SUMMARY OF THE STORY. PLEASE VISIT!! **Well, the end got a little more than complicated, but that's OK!! I think this story is beginning to drift towards Ranma/Ranko/Candle with the way I'm setting Candle up. I wonder if everyone is OK with that? Another note on another subject: I haven't used them much, but I will be using the Kunos later in a subplot and believe me when I say that they are going to be … more psycho than normal.

Review Answers!!

keichan2 – Ranma manipulated Entropy, not chaos. I described the difference last chapter. And I certainly hope that the characters in this story aren't harassing you in real life. That would be bad. :P

Tai Khan – I replied to your review using the little reply button. Tell me in a review, please, whether or not you received it.

ranko lina inverse – Ranko _knows_ how to do all of the stuff Ranma does, but isn't physically capable of all of it. But she has other gifts to make up for it. Green fuzz is also usually a bad thing to eat.

ChaosRune – Your name implies that you should understand chaos in its fullest form. Butterflies were just one of the thousands of different ways that the Entropy energy could have manifested itself. It could also just have easily been a stream of chibi-Rankos beating on Akane with their mallets or a stream of fire that didn't lit anything on fire.

Ryu Vision – I hope that your confusion goes away soon. Stories that are understandable are always more enjoyable than those that are not.

To Everyone who read the story, but didn't leave a review … THANK YOU!! JA NE!!


	8. History Lessons

A.N. You people are specific, aren't you? I meant in your reviews. But that's OK, because I know you're caring enough to leave critical, but in a nice way, opinions behind. Secondary Note: I finally got this chapter to flow like I wanted it too. Thank you all for being patient with me!! Iku zo!!

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Children of the Spring

Seventh Chapter – History Lessons

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Ranma and Candle had talked for about another hour before realizing just _how_ late it had gotten. Thankfully, Ranma didn't need to go to school the next morning and could – hopefully – sleep in the following morning. Candle knew she'd just have to live with the consequences of not getting a full night's rest. After a passionate kiss and long stare, the two parted ways feeling much more content.

Ranma crawled into the futon that was in the room he'd been given. Since so many people had shown up at the Tendou doorstep, the sleeping arrangement got swapped up. Ranma had had the room to himself until just this evening. Akane had insisted that the redhead bunk up with her. Ai and Nami slept in Kasumi's room, and Pan, Buta and Kuma all slept in the dojo. Genma bunked up with Soun in his room.

Ranma stopped and looked over at Ranko. She seemed so peaceful in her sleep, he almost thought she wasn't in pain. But he knew better – her ribs were bruised and he felt that it was his fault. He dared not try to heal Ranko due to what happened to Candle. He didn't want to scare her off, though he doubted he could.

After moving closer to the young girl, Ranma curled up and went to sleep. When morning came, Ranma found himself sleeping well into the morning, but after awhile awoke to find that Ranko had rolled in her sleep.

Right into his side.

Ranma tried to get out of the compromising situation, while simultaneously trying to not wake the girl up. However, she had an iron like vice-grip on his side that he would find impossible to shake without waking the girl up. He sighed and resigned himself to wait until she woke up.

Ranma wasn't left waiting long. Ranko's eye gently fluttered open, and came into focus. She slowly tightened her grip around Ranma, and pulled herself up to a sitting position, putting most of her weight on the sitting boy.

"Good Morning." She whispered to him. Ranma gave her a concerned look.

"It OK for you to do that?" Ranma said. She smiled at his concern.

"Akane bruised my ribs, but not my spine. So long as I don't put too much pressure on said ribs, I should be fine." Ranma looked down, at the floor, but Ranko shook her head.

"You simply don't have the finesse with Jusenkyou's gift to heal anyone yet." Ranma looked up at her, startled.

"How do you know-" Ranko interrupted him.

"What you're going to say next?" Ranko let out a pure laugh. Ranma was reminded of the sound of a ceramic bell ringing.

"I _know_ you Ranma, on every level. I probably remember things that you've long since forgotten or buried. I can guess, with great accuracy, why you're sad, or when you're trying to fool me or any number of other faces you wear." Ranko leaned into him, and Ranma's pigtail began to stand on end. Candle hadn't pushed … _that_ part of her anatomy into him, and it still reminded him of a few girls who'd had that happen _accidentally_ with him and they'd been quite …_violent_ in their following pursuits.

"I'm purposefully pushing myself into you, Ranma. I'm not going to hurt you for what _I'm_ doing to you." She let up, and Ranma relaxed. He tried to ask her what he was doing wrong, when there came a knock at the door.

'Oy! You two need to get up and eat the breakfast Kasumi made for you. Buta and I have a lot to tell you.' Kuma didn't sound so much impatient as he did amused. Kuma didn't leave immediately, and then he tacked onto the end,

'Ranma, remember to carry Ranko down if she can't stand up by herself.' Ranma's ears went red, and Ranko giggled at him.

"Don't worry, Prince Charming. I won't do anything…" A sudden, mischievous glint came to Ranko's eyes.

"_Too_ terribly bad." She glared at him, playfully.

"Just don't carry me like a sack of potatoes. I'll get you for that one." Ranma stared playfully right back.

"Thanks for the idea, Red." Her glare intensified.

"If you do my hands just might …_** wander**_ to a place you'd rather they stay away from." _That_ got Ranma to lose the sack of potatoes ideas real fast. Ranma gave her an indignant, slightly upset look. Ranko sighed.

"I know that that was unfair, but I _really_ would like a little dignity when we go downstairs." Ranma's glare dropped, and he began pouting. Ranko found the strength to move her head from Ranma's shoulder, and kissed him on the cheek.

"C'mon, buck up Charming. The prince is supposed to be like you – strong and overconfident." Ranma was still in shock from the kiss to his cheek that he didn't really hear what she said. He just numbly nodded, knowing it was appropriate. Ranma regained his faculties after a moment, and looked at her. She nodded, and Ranma pulled them both to their feet. After a moment, Ranma took a half-step back, holding only her arms. She shook her head.

"I'm having trouble just standing. I wouldn't be able to even get out the door." She smiled coyly.

"Looks like you have to carry me down the stairs, Charming." Ranma nodded and smirked.

"Right, one sack of potatoes coming up!" Ranko squealed and found herself in the traditional carry-me-over-the-mantle hold. She glared at Ranma and feebly hit him in the chest.

"You meanie! Scaring me like that!" Ranma just smiled at her, and she play-glared up at him. He then realized a fault in this plan.

"I won't be able to open the door like this." Ranko smiled, and wriggled in his grasp.

"Gives us more time to play then." Ranma wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, but granted _what_ she was wiggling against, the young man could guess.

"I don't want a _bear_ interrupting whatever it is you have planned." Ranko sighed resignedly and stopped wiggling.

"You're right. Kuma would interrupt, _just_ to get on my nerves." Ranma walked over to the door and after a moment of struggling, managed to get the doorknob to open. Ranma then very carefully opened the door with his foot, and carried the young girl in his arms down the stairs. He saw that the only person not awake yet was Akane, thankfully.

She'd probably have a temper tantrum just at seeing him _touch_ her, let alone help her down the stairs. He sat her down next to Kasumi at the table, and proceeded to serve himself some of the western breakfast, eggs, hash browns, and sausage, that Kasumi had made this morning. He then got another plate and asked what Ranko wanted for breakfast. After serving her, Kasumi took the fork and gently began feeding Ranko. If had been anyone other than Kasumi, she'd've probably been very indignant about this, but as it was, she just let it pass – there wasn't anything she could do about it, and she frankly didn't care what other people had to say. It _was_ Kasumi after all.

After breakfast had finished, everyone gathered around Buta and Kuma.

'As you are all well aware, Jusenkyou spawned all the Children for a purpose.' The group nodded and Buta took over for Kuma, which got the bear annoyed.

'A long time ago, far before even the creatures called dinosaurs were even forming, three beings hurtled through space. I cannot speak their true names, but they can be represented as He, She, and It.' The thudding noise was not what Buta had expected.

"You can't be _any_ more specific than that?" Nabiki spoke up. Buta shook his head.

'It is not a matter of personal preference not to say their names, but rather, how do you say the twinkling of a bell, or the looming pressure of a shadow?' Most people in room nearly protested, thinking he'd just done it, but then thought about it. That sound or feeling was their _name_. Maybe it was just better to call them that. Kuma spoke back up.

'If it makes any more sense, we won't be talking much about Him, and you can refer to Her as Jusenkyou.' The group nodded. Buta continued.

'When the three of them arrived at Earth, no life had yet formed, but they knew that life could form here. Jusenkyou wanted to move on, to find a planet where there was no life, but It could see forward into time. He could see one timeline where the three of them were revered as gods. There was no suffering, no pain, and all peoples were totally subservient to them. It, with his tongue of gold, managed to get Him to help itself to achieve It's goals of dominating the world.' Buta sighed and shifted.

'Jusenkyou didn't like the idea of messing with a planet like that, so at the last moment, she made one small change. She gave you back your ability to chose. He was non-chalant about it, but It … It was furious, and only calmed himself by destroying the nearby planet that had life on it.' Nabiki nodded, and Kasumi voiced a question.

"Mars?" Kuma looked at her, strangely.

'Which one is that? We don't know the names Japanese give to the planets.' Kasumi nodded, and said,

"It's the little red one. It's the fourth planet in the system." Buta shook his head.

'No, the one we speak of is closer to the sun.' Kasumi again nodded.

"Venus then." He expression darkened for a moment.

"Was it like Earth?" Kuma gravely nodded.

'Venus, as you said, was flourishing in an age that this planet has yet to reach. It destroyed the planet in a sudden flash of fire and acid. No one survived.' Kasumi put her hand to her mouth and looked sick to her stomach. Most other people gasped.

'It is very vengeful and hates it when his plans are derailed.' Nabiki looked at the bear.

"Then why not just leave. Find another planet to mess with?" Kuma smiled.

'It and He used up most of their energy altering the course of likely destinies. Jusenkyou only had to give a little nudge to send it spiraling out of control. It's following tantrum consumed a lot of energy too. Before falling to Earth in a nearly paralyzed state, he bound Jusenkyou to this planet. It used up most of his power during this, so it simply couldn't leave.' Buta said. Ranma spoke up.

"What has any of this got to do with me?" Buta nodded at him.

'Jusenkyou sensed that It is regaining his old power. She's sent us to stop It from wiping this planet clean and sending his children to replace humans. She's just not strong enough to act on her own yet, even though she used minimal energy back then.' Buta sighed and turned to Kuma. The bear picked up the thought.

'Mother Jusenkyou has many access points around the world, places of great mystery, chaos, or 'fun' as she would call it. Some famous ones are the Jusenkyou Springs, The Bay of Inverness, The Bermuda Triangle – all those places that have mystery or chaos associated with them will probably be targeted soon.' Ranma and Pan remembered their conversation with Cologne.

"The old ghoul said that the Amazon village was attacked by a large plant. This sound like It?" He asked, and Buta and Kuma nodded.

'Yes, he did have a green thumb, It did. He isn't strong enough for a full scale invasion yet, but we'll need to get you ready to fight quickly.' They smiled.

'We've got a training trip to go on.' However, as soon as he said this, Soun and Genma were upon him with glares.

"He _**will**_ be taking one of my daughters with him, right?" Buta glared back at both the men, but leveled it on the one who spoke.

'For what I'm planning to teach Ranma, the only other living _being_ I would even chance to have around would be Ranko. I wouldn't want Ranma to _fry_ his fiancé, would I? Or do you _like_ the prospect of one of your daughters coming back from this endeavor severely injured or dead?' Nabiki leaned in and asked Kuma a question.

"Do you really plan on letting this crack plan stand?" Kuma smiled at her.

'If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was sitting next to a shark.' Nabiki smiled at the bear.

"Flattery doesn't answer questions." Kuma laughed.

'Now I know that I'm sitting next to a shark. No, we don't plan on letting your father or Ranma's idiot one tie him down before It had been defeated. And then, only _after_ that will we let him _choose_ whether or not to accept it.' Nabiki nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Soun had backed off in the corner and was sobbing silently to himself. Buta had scared the poor fellow more than he had intended, but made no move to correct his verbal mistake. Genma went to comfort his old friend. Buta sighed.

'Get ready young one. You'll probably only have one or two more weeks here before we are all well enough to travel.' Buta told Ranma, who nodded. The only thing Ranma knew was that he had to tell Candle where he was going and why.

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After breakfast, Cologne had sent the warriors away to practice their skills in the close quarters of the little offices near the front of the building and had let Soap roam free. She had Candle all to herself.

-So, how did you enjoy your little walk last night?- Candle froze. She was in trouble, she knew it.

(What walk?) She knew it was childish to refuse an elder, but there _was_ the small chance that Cologne was merely teasing her about sleepwalking or something of that nature. Cologne smiled knowingly at her.

-Why, child, the one you took with Ranma last night! I do hope you were successful in procuring a child?- Now, even though the elder was correct in knowing that Ranma was here last night, she _had_ to simply be teasing her.

(Elder, please stop teasing me. Ranma was here.) Candle slumped. She _had_ wanted to do all sorts of things with Ranma that night, but once she saw how he got simply because he tried to _tickle_ her, she'd find frustration if she tried … _that_ with him. It was supposed to be a noisy affair from the woman after all. Cologne's face took a slightly more serious look.

-I know that the Saotome boy was here last night, and that you went away with him. I don't condemn you for not taking advantage of the boy – I don't think he would have risked coming back here.- She smiled ferally.

-_Especially_ if you'd done what I'd hoped you'd done.- Candle turned a shade of magenta usually reserved for children's paints. Cologne laughed.

(I did _wish_ we had done some of those things, but…) Candle looked away, still signing.

(He couldn't seem to stop blaming himself for my throat. That was the only thing that separated us, even at the village. He tickled me for a few moments, but stopped when he saw me laughing but couldn't hear me.) Cologne nodded, and Candle made a sighing motion.

(He's such a mess.) Cologne read sadness and frustration from the young Amazon's posture. She clicked her tongue – something that had become more like a chuckle than a reprimand – and began signing again.

(I did learn a few things though.) Cologne prompted her.

-Like what?- Candle smirked, running a hand through her shortish red-pink hair.

(I'm not the only girl he's stolen the heart of. You know the spring-girl?) Cologne nodded.

(Her name is Ranko, and she had fallen in love with Ranma. Only, she loves him enough to let him come to me.) She pulled her feet up to her chest. Cologne nodded solemnly, and then smiled brightly.

-You two will have to get along very well then!- Candle smiled up at her elder. Who knew a person that _old_ really could apply their knowledge in contemporary settings? The two smiled, and turned to watch the others practice their respective arts.

-Did you learn anything else about Ranma?- Candle nodded, and got out her chalkboard. She began writing on the board.

(I know little inane things like his favorite foods and pastimes, but other than that, he really didn't get to answer too many questions – he asked me more than my fair share.) Cologne nodded thoughtfully and paused for a moment.

-Will you be the only Amazon he touches?- She asked, implying a different meaning altogether, which Candle picked up on.

(I don't think that, as they are right now, Incense or Shampoo stand a chance. They are simply too forward with Ranma and that would frighten him.) She paused in her writing before continuing.

(Wash and Soap are also out of the running too. Soap because all she can _see_ Ranma as is a brother or close relative, and Wash because she wants Shampoo to go first, tell her all of Ranma's shortcomings, and then make up for them when it's 'her' turn.)

(Shower might succeed, if she left out a few of her odder … kinks.) She finally wrote done. Cologne nodded.

-You two will be a good starting place. He'll not need to be pushed too hard after that. He'll come to understand what we want, and we'll probably get enough of it through you and Shower to be satisfied, but not complacent.- Candle looked pensive.

(Ranma means Wild Horse, Elder, and that's what he really is. I don't think I could bring him back to the village with me if I teleported us there and bound us with a seal the size of the village. He would find a way out. Same with any child we'd have. He'd take off with them so they could live 'free' lives. Ranma never did like how we treated men in the village.) Cologne nodded wistfully. It was one of the things that kept many good male warriors away, the matriarchal society of the Amazons. They were all mostly beautiful women, but the way that some women treated men in the village was outright … barbaric, even by Cologne's standards. Women could be in charge, but no one should have to suffer public humiliation like some males did. Ranma got cross whenever he saw anyone suffering, and if those women hadn't been married, she would have brought a force of nearly half the village when she came here. Breaking out of her reverie, she said to Candle.

-You should pick on or two of the girls who speak Japanese well and go to the school Ranma is attending. Acclimate him to your presence again. Make him understand what the Amazon nation is demanding of him, and then you two may do as you like.- Candle nodded, and steeled herself to do the difficult thing her Elder was asking of her.

She hoped that she could make Ranma understand that their firstborn daughter was going to be an Amazon, whether he liked it or not.

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When It stopped what it was doing and looked at what he had created, he smiled. The Night Children and the Shadow Lances had only been the first of his creations, and now he had several more. He took his hand off the last one he had just finished. It looked nothing more than like a six foot tall piece of the night sky that had been twisted into a vaguely human shape. Its eyes twinkled brightly against the rest of its body, and It smiled down at his child.

_(Father.)_ He had instilled these specific children as communicators with other races, should they ever come along to his Earth. They would be the ones called on to negotiate and to tell the history of what was to come.

"I call you Twilight Sage. Go now to your post in this life." The Sage nodded, and flew off. He had no appendage for flying, but it seemed as though he was so light that he just simply floated away through the darkness naturally. He turned to look back. He'd already made workers and warriors and diplomats, but he'd also made farmers and reproducers and even those who could tap his brother's mana pools. It looked down to see the brood of Dark Queens near him. They roamed around freely, devouring certain other Shadowlings, but knowing that they would be able to make more of them at any time. Dark Queens resembled humanity quite well, if it weren't for their pitch black skin and fair that flowed like fire. Their eyes were bright speck in the darkness, illuminating their features for all to see. They had small, thick, tail-like appendages one each buttocks, but these were really place to develop new Shadowlings. The others, it felt, would become more useful in time. For now, it would be content to figure out where its sister had hidden her powers to access the world.

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Ranma sat on the roof, letting the dinner he'd eaten settle and let the new information he'd received sink in a little. It and He had shaped humans, but it was Jusenkyou who'd made sure that humanity wasn't a race of slaves. However, he'd gotten so lost in thought that he'd found himself drenched by the rainstorm that had moved in. He thought about just simply going inside to change back, but then he remembered something that Kuma had told him something about pheonixes in the rain.

'_When the sun is showing, a pheonix's power over fire is increased, so your fire abilities are stronger during day, and to a more limited extent at night. However, when it raining, your powers to _heal_ are increased. You can heal not only either yourself or someone else, but both at the same time, and what you can heal is also amplified.'_

Ranma smiled as best as his bird form could. He wrestled himself out of his now very damp silk shirt. He swooped into the room he and Ranko were staying in, and moved over to Ranko, who had propped herself up on a cot that Kasumi insist she use to get her off the floor. Ranma dropped his shirt near his futon and went over to the cot. Ranma's bird head came up barely to the edge of the cot, so he used his long neck to nudge Ranko to get her attention. She smiled at him

"Hello, Charming. What do you need?" Ranma told her,

**I think I know how to heal in this form. I'd like to-** Ranko cut him off.

"You're already healing me. You being alive heals me, and me being alive heals you. It's just taking a while because the tail end of the Ritual was interrupted by Akane. Healing a few bruised ribs would normally take a few days to fix up, rather than the two weeks that its seems its going to take." Ranko smiled as even bird Ranma hunched his shoulders.

"Think about it this way; you're already doing what you set out to do. Its just going to take longer than you want it to." Ranma brightened considerably at this. He nodded, and Ranko knew what was going to happen next.

"I think you ought to wait until tomorrow to try and heal Candle. The Amazon will no doubt set up a patrol that you can intercept and heal her then. Besides, running about underneath Cologne's nose, even with the Umisenken, would be an idea to be used sparingly. Best to catch her when she isn't around." Ranma nodded, and yawned. He turned and went to go downstairs, but Ranko stopped him.

"Ranma? Could you stay like that tonight?" Ranma looked puzzled. Why would she want him to stay like this, where he wasn't even human anymore? He cocked his avian head at her, and she explained.

"I'd … I'd like it if you…" She blushed, a little embarrassed at her own audacity for thinking of this. But she at least wanted to keep herself in the back of Ranma's head while he was seeing Candle.

"I'd like to cuddle with you, and I don't want people proclaiming the wrong thing." She finished in a hushed voice. Ranma took a step back, bracing himself. Until Candle and Ranko had a chance to talk and come to an agreement of some sorts, he knew that he'd feel bad doing _anything_ remotely intimate with a girl, even in a form he couldn't really do much in. Still, he knew what _she_ felt for _him_ so he decided to at least show her he cared about her opinion.

**You and Candle need to talk soon.** Ranko smiled as the bird Ranma settled down beside her. The cot was oddly wide, but Kasumi said that it was meant for military men, who were usually broad chested. She raised a feeble arm, and stroked Ranma's feather crest. He cooed at the attention. She giggled and curled around him. He froze for a moment, and then relaxed into her embrace.

"You're really warm." She murmured, and then she was promptly asleep. Ranma followed her into dreamland, and dreamed of the day in the future where she, Candle, and he could all live away from the craziness that was about to drop itself on them.

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**Check my profile for in depth summaries, teasers, and important news I can't fit into the little summary box that this site gives you!**

**Twilight Sage:** These creatures are vaguely human shaped, but seem to be made of nothing but a wisp of silk that seems to be like a starry night. Their eyes glow like the brightest supernova, a glowing red-orange that sometimes flared chaotically into blue. Their hands are three tendrils they use to grab things. These tendrils can also be used to cut through car door hinges with little effort. The Sages are also the most intelligent of the Shadowlings and are capable of telepathically communicating with other beings, animal or human or higher still.

**Dark Queens:** Save for the fact they are as dark as the night is black and their eyes glow like infernal windows, Dark Queens could pass as humans. Their hair flows like fire rather than strands and seems to pass through their head and shoulders rather than around. These are the hive mothers of the Shadowlings, capable of giving birth to any of the other Shadowlings. They have two small, thick tail like appendages that greatly expand during pregnancy and hold four Night Children (two in each) or two of any other Shadowling. It only takes them three weeks to reproduce this many children, and they're only immobilized by their tails for one week. They are cared for by the Harvesters and by the Night Children during the one week period. They are usually constantly growing Shadowlings, and have very little offensive capabilities. Second smartest, can understand speech but cannot talk.

A.N. I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends in this story to make sure nothing's dangling when I get to the main part of the series. School next chapter, along with the emergence of It's plants all across the globe. The crossing over will begin shortly. **IDEAS WANTED**. I'm already going to use the Bay of Inverness (The 4th Tower of Inverness), The Bermuda Triangle (JLA/X-Men), The Brazilian Amazon (Whoever I _don't_ use in the Triangle), and Ayer Rock (Unknown crossover). There _will_ be a final battle back at Jusenkyou where _everyone_ I've crossed over will be represented. There will also be chapters after the defeat of It that will be very fluffy. But I'm not telling you what happens!!

Review Responses!!!

ranko lina Inverse – Yes, Kuno's cannon is simply being annoying. He will play a major danger later in the story. Yes, its hard to believe, but I think I can manage to pull this rabbit out of my hat.

jack frost & Euphemism – Your nits won't be turning into lice anytime soon. Entropy is an increase in heat, yes, but if you go down to the molecular level, an increase in heat means an increase in _random motion_ of the atoms. The _hotter_, more _entropic_ they are, the more chaotic the _motion_ of the system becomes. Plus, only global entropy always increases – Local entropy can actually _decrease_. And Euphemism, the Entropic Heat Death of the Universe really states that all Potential Energy in the universe will eventually bleed off into heat rather than useful work. I've never seen a variant where the heat is evenly distributed. Plus does it really matter what I _call_ the energy that Ranma uses, so long as it serves the _purpose_ I have in mind for it? (I plan to minor in Physics while in College, so I do hope I know what I'm talking about).

Kurt Baros aka the Falcon – I'm sorry you were looking forward to another chapter of Red Shoe Sunday. If you've ever had that problem and found a way around it, please let me know. I like where that story was going too. I will at least brush the chapters up to make them look more like my current style. Hope that that will tide you over until I get to actually finishing them off.

To keichan2, Dragon Man 180, Wonderbee31, FalseExact and everyone who read but didn't leave a review – Arigatou Gozaimashuta (sp?)!! JA NE!!


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